Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal enjoyed their moments in the sun—and in the media glare—this last week, with triumphant appearances in Varanasi and Delhi.
However, while the PM continues to roadshow his way through the country, giving seemingly impromptu interviews to television news channels along the way — a new addition for him, this election season—the CM’s progress has hit a roadblock from an unexpected quarter: his own personal assistant.
Vibhav Kumar, PA to Kejriwal, reportedly “misbehaved” with the AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP, Swati Maliwal when she visited the CM residence on Monday, leading to what India Today called, ‘AAP’s assault row’.
The puzzle over what precisely happened between Maliwal and Kumar, and why it took AAP over 30 hours to “admit” (Republic TV) that the PA’s conduct was unbecoming, has dimmed the lustre of Kejriwal’s release from Tihar Jail after the Supreme Court granted him interim bail, last Friday.
English news channels set out to investigate the mystery, Monday. They chose to largely ignore the fourth phase of voting that included Jammu and Kashmir for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370 five years ago—and gave second pegging to the Prime Minister cooking or rolling rotis at a langar in Patna.
Instead, they went after Kejriwal & Kumar and Maliwal’s disappearance. For some reason, best known to themselves, Hindi news channels didn’t find Maliwal’s accusation of “maar peet” at the CM’s house newsworthy enough to cover.
Come Tuesday afternoon and AAP’s Sanjay Singh announced that Delhi’s CM would act decisively. When no action followed, TV news asked ‘Big questions’ on Wednesday: ‘Is AAP shielding Vibhav Kumar?’, ‘Why no police complaint?’, ‘Has someone persuaded Maliwal…’ to remain silent?
The biggest lead in “Assaultgate”, said Times Now, midday Wednesday. It interviewed her former husband, Naveen Jaihind, who alleged a threat to her life and a conspiracy to silence her.
Dear oh dear, what have we here?
Also read: Newspapers are pushing Modi to inside pages more and more while TV channels remain faithful
Modi’s newfound love for ‘interviews’
We will return to the media’s coverage of the mystery surrounding Maliwal, in a little.
Before that, let’s talk about PM Modi’s sudden fondness for on-the-spot TV interviews. In the last three days, he has stopped to chat with several news channels, including Times Now, India Today/Aaj Tak, India TV, News 18 — and NDTV. This is Modi’s first interview to NDTV—at least as far as one can recall—so that’s huge for the channel.
And, in addition to these, there was the sit-down interview with Republic TV.
We are familiar with the PM’s pre-planned, one-on-one formal Q&As on TV—we’ve been watching them since 2013 during his campaign for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. In the last six weeks, we’ve watched the PM answer questions on leading Hindi and English news channels mentioned above (barring NDTV)—TV 9 Bharatvarsh being one of the first. These are recorded interactions—most of us believe the questions have been shared with the PM in advance.
Now, the PM has opened himself up to questions in the middle of his campaign—it’s a refreshing change. He’s less formal, more spontaneous—on TV 18 India, he’s on a boat, and leans on the railing. In Patna, he’s standing next to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, probably after a rally on Times Now; he strolls in a garden with the India Today correspondent; and he walks inside a building with India TV.
You see how comfortable he is with himself and with being interviewed. And of course, he’s a past master at amateur theatrics. Do watch his Q&A with Rubika Liyaquat (News 18 India)—listen and see how he appears surprised to learn that he had reportedly referred to Muslims as “infiltrators” during a campaign speech in Banswara, Rajasthan, in April.
His themes remain the same: attack Congress, attack Congress leader Rahul Gandhi—for example, he tells India Today that the Congress will score zero in Uttar Pradesh. He projects himself as a man of the people, the chosen one: On India TV and News 18 India, he says God has chosen him to work for the people. That is the source of his “energy” (“urja”).
This is heady stuff.
The question is, why is the PM suddenly available to the media when he has been reluctant during his 10 years in office? What has changed?
These questions are all the more interesting when Union Home Minister Amit Shah is simultaneously giving interviews to news channels—saw him on NDTV, Aaj Tak, and TV 9 Bharatvarsh.
So, what has prompted this “double engine” news media engagement? Are they aiming for ‘400 paar’ or seeking to motivate the faithful and the undecided voter?
Also read: Modi’s Newsweek Q&A was without questions—and how ANI interviews in 2019 and 2024 compare
TV news is all over ‘Maliwal beaten up’
The news media doesn’t know the sequence of events that led to AAP’s RS member Swati Maliwal making two PCR calls from Arvind Kejriwal’s residence. However, the very first reports across news channels on Monday morning spoke of her being “beaten up”. Channels said she left the CM’s residence, went to the Civil Lines police station but did not lodge a complaint and refused to be checked. Then she left and has not been seen or heard from, since.
Delhi Police generously shared its diary notes of the PCR calls with the media and we learnt Maliwal had complained that she was badly beaten up – at the behest of the chief minister.
TV news channels made the most of this by continually referring to “maar peet” whereas the newspapers stuck to a more formal “assault”.
Republic TV and Hindi daily Dainik Jagran said Maliwal was crying when she came out of the CM’s residence before the police persuaded her to visit the police station. By the way, no media report has mentioned any visible physical injury to Maliwal.
Newspapers like The Indian Express speculated on the reasons for the altercation. “Maliwal was among the Rajya Sabha MPs whose absence from the city was questioned when Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21. In response, she had said that she was in the US with her sister who was undergoing treatment,” the Express said.
Television news is all over this story and AAP needs to act fast to stop a public relations disaster.
The author tweets @shailajabajpai. Views are personal.
(Edited by Prashant)
Mam before you expect a modicum of rightful dissent rein your editorji Shekar Gupta. He is getting worse every day. He has every right to be ‘fawning like a cur’ to the powers that be, but please spare us the nonsense. You are the readers editor mam. Hence my complaint. My roti is same as your editor’s and yours as well. For the stomach do not peddle vomit. Just we can’t bear the insult anymore mam…Even from your erstwhile illustrious editor.. thanks
Why are charlatans masquerading as senior journalists so rattled by every move of Modi?
All news channels where Modi visited are certified GODI media channels. The public got to see good comedy. Modi’s statement that “I never do Hindu Muslim politics.” became the joke of the century.