Resignation by two high profile journalists of ABP news channel – Milind Khandekar, managing editor and anchor Punya Prasun Bajpai – have triggered reactions on social media with many blaming Modi government for pushing the duo to quit. ABP’s flagship show, ‘Masterstroke’ has reportedly been taken off air.
Khandekar took to twitter to announce his resignation, “14 years & 8 days later it’s time to move on. Today was my last day as Managing Editor@abpnewstv. Thank you for being part of my journey so far.”
14 years & 8 days later it’s time to move on. Today was my last day as Managing Editor @abpnewstv . Thank you for being part of my journey so far.
— Milind Khandekar (@milindkhandekar) August 1, 2018
The sudden move has garlanded nation-wide reactions.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday alleged the Modi government was behind their resignation and that the centre was killing independent media in the country.
In a tweet, Arvind Kejriwal said: “Free media is life-line of democracy. But Modi government is hell-bent to kill independent media. The resignation of two eminent TV journalists from ABP News in two days is another proof. Media should rise now, otherwise it will be too late.”
Free media is life line of democracy. But Modi govt is hell bent to kill independent media. The resignation of two eminent TV journalists from ABP News in two days is another proof. Media should rise now, other wise it will be too late #FreeMediaDiedInIndia
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 2, 2018
Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewal said on Twitter that the resignations were the result of an attempt to “suppress truth being spoken to power”.
Operation – ABP News Channel
‘Kamal’Executor – Shri Narender Modi,
Shri Amit Shah.Objective -Suppress ‘truth being
spoken to power’.Outcome -Remove Punay Prasoon Vajpayee, Milind Khandekar, Abhisar & others
1/2— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) August 2, 2018
Niranjan Patnaik, President of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee, also took to twitter to slam the Saffron Party leaders – Narendra Modi and Amit Shah.
The many masterstrokes of Modi ji and Amit Shah:
Ask Amit Shah a question on demonetization in Rajya Sabha: Questions from website disappear
Summon him to the court: Judge disappears
Criticize him on TV: Editor & Anchor’s jobs disappear#Masterstroke
— Niranjan Patnaik (@NPatnaikOdisha) August 2, 2018
Also read: Why Mamata Banerjee has made Amit Shah jittery
The shocking move came after news channel claimed to be under pressure from Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party. As per the many people familiar to ABP news network, BJP officials had been making troubles in the telecast of Bajpai’s show ‘Masterstroke’. Many party workers had boycotted the channel.
ABP was facing the woe after since the channel elicited some comments from the government for a story on Masterstroke in the wake of a video interaction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a participant from Chhattisgarh, who had told Modi on the show that her income had doubled after she switched from cultivating paddy to growing custard apples. Masterstroke had later interviewed the same woman, who claimed that officials from Delhi had ‘tutored’ her before her interaction with the Prime Minister to falsely claim that her income had doubled.