New Delhi: Prime time was, mercifully, an eclectic mix Monday. While the English news channels covered the Assam floods, Rajasthan politics and the Delhi riots investigation, Zee News and India TV focused on Rahul Gandhi’s video attacking PM Modi on India-China ties. Zee News‘ Vishal Kalra, in fact, kept asking why the Congress leaders acts as the “spokesperson for China’s fake news factory”.
Let’s begin with India Today. On a show anchored by Gaurav Sawant, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate and the BJP’s Sambit Patra got into a “shut-up” row as they shouted at each other and rudely yelled, “Shut up, shut up.” Sawant pleaded for civility and is lucky nobody told him to keep quiet.
Later on India Today, Himanta Biswa Sarma, minister in the Assam government was interviewed by anchor Rajdeep Sardesai who wasted no time asking him whether the floods were worse this year than previous years. Or was it just an “annual ritual now?”. Sarma replied, “In terms of human casualties, this year is worse as we have already lost more than 100 people.”
Sardesai wasn’t letting him go so easily though. He said that more than Rs 30,000 crore was being spent on embankments to curtail the floods in recent years, but every year, they were washed away. “So where is the money going or are embankments not the solution?” he demanded. Explaining the topography of Assam, Biswa replied, “We also believe that creating embankments is a short-term solution. It cannot be a long-term solution.” Not quite the answer to the question, but why aren’t we surprised?
Over to NDTV 24×7‘s ‘Reality Check’, where anchor Sreenivasan Jain discussed the investigation into the Delhi riots of February with former Uttar Pradesh DGP Vikram Singh, lawyer Vrinda Grover and BJP leader Vivek Reddy. He asked Singh, “What is the recourse for the victims (of the riots)?” Singh replied that an SIT had to be set up and all applications collected and dated, but Jain was quick to point out that “there is already an SIT by the way.”
Jain then turned to Reddy to ask why he was so outraged about an RSS link being made in a few of the arrests by the Delhi Police when people themselves claimed the link. He asked, “Are you saying Delhi Police is wrong to have arrested people linked to RSS?”
“This is all a huge chain of lies, trying to use BJP and RSS as punching bags,” said Reddy. Someone’s got a bad case of victim-itis.
CNN News18, on the other hand, stuck to the Rajasthan theatrics. On anchor Marya Shakil’s show was Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed who said, “We gave Mr. Sachin Pilot all these opportunities — all these young people to come up in the party. You cannot say that we don’t give opportunities.” Coming to Rahul Gandhi, Mohamed spoke about his new video series and his warning to PM Modi on Galwan Valley.
She ignored Shakil’s pointed question of “Why isn’t Rahul Gandhi speaking about his friend Sachin Pilot?” and made some vague statements about how it’s not just money, it’s also muscle power. BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao tried getting in a word but by that time Mohamed had moved on to the CBI and the internal politics there. To which Rao said, “Come on, I think you are jumping everywhere and not answering the question.” Isn’t that most TV news debates?
On Zee News‘ ‘Taal Thok Ke’ with Vishal Kalra, the spotlight was on Rahul Gandhi’s latest video. Gandhi, in his video released Monday, said that the Prime Minister is succumbing to China, who is attacking his “56 inch chest image.”
Apart from wondering aloud if Rahul Gandhi was trying to build his image by sabotaging that of the PM, Kalra also repeatedly asked, “Why is Rahul Gandhi acting as the spokesperson for China’s fake news propaganda?”.
The BJP’s KK Sharma responded in similar vein, calling Gandhi a “liar” and a “gossip leader.” Kalra then asked the same question of political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla, who, in turn, asked if Chinese permanent structures are seen today in between Finger 4 and Finger 8 on Pangong lake.
Gandhi’s video series also took centre stage on India TV, with anchor Rajat Sharma quoting BJP President JP Nadda’s tweet accusing the Gandhi “dynasty” of taking investments from China.
“Rahul Gandhi forgets that his credibility in terms of China is less,” the anchor declared, talking of China’s alleged donations to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and Gandhi’s attempts to “hide his meeting” with the Chinese ambassador during Doklam.
Sharma concluded that the biggest problem here isn’t China, but Rahul Gandhi, who thinks that only his “family and no one else can rule the country”.
Most of our electronic media is now useless. Instead of debating on the issues. They are giving their own opinion and manipulating public perception.
These news studios have now become comedy shows and producing daily soap operas.
Sachin Pilot has strong grass roots knowledge and links in Rajasthan. He could do a Kejriwal and start an AAP in Rajasthan. He has enough empathy; funds will come in from Indian diaspora.