New Delhi: Bollywood’s drug ‘scandal’ ruled prime time slots yet again Sunday, but NDTV 24×7 and News18 India resisted its allure, as they focused on alleged violation of rules in the Rajya Sabha and a “super exclusive” on the Northeast Delhi riots. Times Now focused on the CBI investigation into actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death.
On ‘Left, Right and Centre’, NDTV 24×7‘s Vishnu Som dealt with the alleged violation of parliamentary laws by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Singh during the voting on the contentious farms bills in the Upper House last Sunday.
While a ruckus had erupted, Singh had opted for a voice vote, saying that members have to be in their seats to demand division. Footage from Rajya Sabha TV appears to reveal that at least two members were in their seats when demanding a division of vote. The bills were passed amid chaotic scenes.
On the debate, Lt Gen DP Vats, a BJP Rajya Sabha MP, said that RS TV visuals “aren’t complete” and don’t show “the proper sequence of events”. “You have to create a situation for the division, galleries have to be cleared, everybody has to be in his seat and then they have to sit and slips have to be supplied. It is not possible under the situation when the MPs aren’t sitting in the galleries,” he said.
CPI(M) MP KK Ragesh, one of the two members who remained in their seat, refuted his claims. “If a single member ask for a division it is the responsibility of the Chair to see that the division has taken place… It is very clear that I was asking for division from the seat allocated to me itself,” he said.
News18 India‘s Amish Devgan had a “super exclusive” break about the February Northeast Delhi riots allegedly being a response to the “loss” in 2019 general elections.
“Sambit (Patra) ji very correctly noted that since PM Modi has come to power in 2019, there are people who have this agenda against India. Those who are blaming Kapil Mishra for instigating the rights, but there were anti-Hindu slogans during CAA protests, and nobody gave a reactions” said social worker and lawyer Subuhi Khan. “This was done strategically when US President Donald Trump was on an official visit in India,” she added portentously.
All other channels, however, remained fixated on the Narcotics Control Bureau probe into Bollywood’s alleged ‘drug mafia’.
Aaj Tak tried to decode what went on when Sara Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone and Shraddha Kapoor were summoned by the NCB Saturday and whether the three actors have got a clean chit or not. On views that Padukone is being targeted for turning up at JNU expressing solidarity with students in January, the BJP’s Sambit Patra said, “I’m shocked. Even Deepika Padukone hasn’t said that she is being targeted. She, and others, have willingly submitted their phones for inspection. They are the ones who were talking about procuring drugs, not us.”
“Deepika is not crying as much as Congress is,” he added.
“I have one question for the NCB. Many videos have revealed that Kangana Ranaut also consumed drugs. She has admitted herself… Why is she not being investigated?” asked actor Nasir Abdullah.
Meanwhile, India Today anchor Pooja Shali wondered if it’s just a coincidence that only female actors have been implicated in the investigation so far, and activist Saira Shah Halim described the NCB probe as “loose” and “unsubstantiated”.
“If the NCB makes a statement that Sushant Singh Rajput’s death investigation is not a priority we are doing a clean up act and we are going to round up all the drug peddlers [it might have been different],” she said.
Times Now’s Madhavdas G questioned why the CBI is yet to get a single lead 37 days after it started investigating the case.
Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam defended the agency: “SSR’s whole case is based on circumstantial evidence. There is no direct evidence. Therefore, the investigation agency has to collect a chain of circumstances.”
Political analyst Sumanth Raman argued, “Until a month ago, everyone was shouting to give this case to the CBI despite the fact that neither the CBI nor the court has found anything wrong in the Mumbai Police probe.”
So ThePrint is now telling us what we already know. Nice way to say “hum sabh mile hue hai”