New Delhi: Prime time Thursday went from Covid-positive politicians choosing private hospitals over government ones to the Ministry of Defence’s move to pull down documents that admit there was a Chinese intrusion at the LAC. And then there’s the investigation into Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, with Aaj Tak discussing the late actor’s phone logs and what they mean. ABP News, meanwhile, focused on the devastation in Mumbai over the last few days of heavy rain and strong winds.
First to Mirror Now. More than 15 ministers with coronavirus got themselves admitted into private hospitals. “Does it send the wrong message when netas choose private over government hospitals?” asked anchor Tanvi Shukla.
Defending the politicians, TRS’ Mahesh Bigala said, “”It should be an individual choice because it’s a health condition.” Shukla countered, “As public representatives, if they don’t experience first hand, how bad is the condition of government hospitals, how will they fix it?”
AIADMK’s VA Pugazhendi chimed in with, “The bed shortage is going on in the entire country. Now, the intention is that we do not disturb the public. There’s no difference in the treatment between government and private hospitals.” Hmmmm.
Over to Republic TV, which claims to be armed with “sting operations (that) reveal explosive details” about the Sushant Singh Rajput case even as the CBI took over the case. Anchor Arnab Goswami pronounced his own judgement, accusing director Mahesh Bhatt of saying Rajput will end up like Parveen Babi (the late Bollywood actor who was Bhatt’s partner for a while, and was rumoured to suffer from paranoid schizophrenia). “You will be answerable, if not to law then to your conscience,” Goswami addressed Bhatt via the lens.
Maharashtra BJP’s Shweta Shalini said, “People have tried to kill evidence and influence the investigation. My request to CBI is going to be that most of these people on whose behest Mumbai Police was working must be filed as co-accused in the case.”
“CBI taking over Sushant’s case is a triumph and restoration of faith in the justice system,” said actor Shreya Narayan.
Aaj Tak‘s Chitra Tripathi, too, focused on the investigation and claimed to have accessed the actor’s phone records. “The mystery surrounding the actor’s death is getting deeper day by day. Aaj Tak has got Sushant’s phone records which has revealed shocking details.”
“Rhea blocked his phone on 8 June till 14 June. In this time period, his former manager Disha Salian died. Sushant called Rhea many times but she didn’t get back to him,” the anchor said.
“Only writing Satyameva Jayate will not clear the matter,” Tripathi said referring to Rhea’s posts on social media.
The channel also kept playing old photos of the late actor, few from his vacation in Panchkula, for good measure.
NDTV 24×7‘s Vishnu Som, meanwhile, eschewed the Sushant saga to highlight the Ministry of Defence pulling down from its website documents regarding admission to Chinese intrusion.
“It is the responsibility of the web administrator to decide for how long he wants to post a particular item. Not correct to say the government is hiding things from the public,” said Brig. Anil Gupta (Retired), a BJP leader. “Opposition’s prerogative is to raise questions; they are welcome to do it,” he added.
“This kind of opacity, lack of transparency and lack of credibility is perhaps what is emboldening China,” noted Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate.
Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (R), former GOC 15 Corps took a Zen approach: “They will have to come clean at some stage. If the strategy has been worked out in a manner that the government feels transparency is not in the interest of the nation and Army, so be it.”
And on ABP News, the focus was on Mumbai, which has been wrecked by torrential rain and storms. Anchor Sumit Awasthi said, “After 15 years, Mumbai has seen this kind of devastation, which is extremely terrifying to even look at.”
“Everything is like a nightmare,” the anchor said as sounds of lightning and thunder played in the background.
Footage of houses being devastated, trees uprooted and roads submerged in water played alongside. “The wind made the trees dance around like choreographers make artistes do,” Awasthi commented, almost lyrically.
