New Delhi: Leading Hindi newspapers, like their English counterparts, were divided over coverage of the Delhi communal riots.
Most Hindi papers gave equal weightage to US President Donald Trump’s visit to India and the riots in Northeast Delhi. However, shockingly, there was no mention of the Delhi communal riots in the front page of Dainik Jagran.
Instead, Jagran chose to carry photographs of Trump and Prime Minister Modi on Page 1. The banner headline quoted Trump on the Citizenship Amendment Act, “CAA bharat ka antrik mamla: Trump” (CAA is India’s internal matter: Trump). It also highlighted the $3 billion dollar defence deals in the report.
It was only on page three that the Delhi riots got a half-page coverage. The report was accompanied by a photograph of arson in Bhajanpura. It also mentioned the acid attack on paramilitary jawans in Karawal Nagar, the arrest of Shahrukh, who wielded a pistol during the riots and the death of police head constable Ratan Lal due to gunshot wound.
Also read: Express says Muslims target of mob violence in Delhi, Telegraph calls it ‘Gujarat model’
Trump-Delhi violence coverage
Amar Ujala, on the other hand, led with the Delhi riots and carried the shoot-on-sight order in its headline — “Upadravion ko dekhte hi goli maarney ke aadesh” (Shoot on sight orders for miscreants). It also carried photographs of arson and the stone pelting mob from Northeast Delhi.
Dainik Bhaskar also featured the violence in Northeast Delhi as its lead story. It carried a story on Head Constable Dilip Dahiya, who confronted the shooter Shahrukh. The constable was quoted as saying “Darta toh police mein bharti nahin hota” (If I was scared, I would not have joined the police).
The paper’s Trump report also focused on his comments on the violence in Delhi. Trump said that while he had heard of the riots but did not raise it with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Navbharat Times’ front page carried the Trump-Modi meeting prominently but noted in the headline that while there is violence on the streets of Delhi, the US President kept quiet about it. The papers carried a detailed coverage of the riots on Page 3.
Dainik Hindustan gave six columns to the Trump-Modi meeting and only two columns to the Delhi violence on Page 1. The paper’s headline was on how both India and the US pledged to counter terrorism in Pakistan.
Jansatta led with Delhi, with its headline mentioning the death toll and rioting — “Dhadhakti Dilli, ab tak 13 ki mautey” (Flaring Delhi, 13 dead till now).
Also read: Delhi’s ‘worst communal violence in decades’ eclipses Trump trip in global media