New Delhi: Sunday’s prime time segments were largely consumed by the political ruckus in and around Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras after a 20-year-old woman was allegedly gang-raped. Times Now, though, continued its relentless pursuit of a ‘clean-up’ in Bollywood, while Republic Bharat focused on developments in the Sushant Singh Rajput case after the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) report ruled out murder.
First to Mirror Now, where the focus was on Hathras and how certain sections of people were prevented from going. Anchor Afrida Rahman Ali asked former Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police VN Rai, “In terms of consistency in enforcing the law, when it comes to Section 144, why is it that it’s enforced with great force when it comes to Opposition and media, but not these upper-caste men who were gathered there?”
“The conduct and performance of the UP Police and even the government has been totally unprofessional and insensitive. I am not surprised that they lathi-charged a particular section of society and not another. All governments misuse the police,” Rai said.
The Samajwadi Party’s Juhie Singh chimed in, saying, “It’s sad that despite the apparent miscarriage of justice and complete non-compliance of any rules of law and order, the BJP is saying the Opposition instigated someone to rape a girl and then use it to divide UP on caste lines.”
NewsX was on the same subject, too. Here, former CBI director AP Singh noted, “The declaration of the Hathras girl can become a strong point for the case. The injury report and witness (mother of the victim) is very important.”
“Nothing has changed from the Nirbhaya to the Hathras case, just the name and place keep changing,” rued Shameena Shafiq, former member of the National Commission for Women.
On Aaj Tak, anchor Anjana Om Kashyap questioned the intent of various politicians reaching Hathras to meet the family of the Hathras woman. “The fight for justice has been turned into a political battle. Why are they (political leaders) accompanied by so much crowd? It seems like they are going to file nomination for elections.”
When asked where Akhilesh Yadav was when the girl was fighting for her life in the hospital, Samajwadi Party spokesperson Sunil Singh Yadav said if the party leaders had gone to the hospital, people would have accused them of politicising the issue.
ABP News‘ Rubika Liyaquat demanded to know why the District Magistrate of Hathras, who was seen on video allegedly threatening the family to change their statement, the family was being saved.
BJP spokesperson Shazia Ilmi had nothing to offer but platitudes about how the Yogi government’s team, including the chief secretary, is handling the case and there would be no negligence.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said that Yogi Adityanath remained silent even after 15 days of the incident. “Everyone watched the DM’s viral video. But the narco test will be conducted on the family and not on those who are responsible for the girl’s death and her hushed cremation,” she pointed out.
In all this, Republic Bharat decided that Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death investigation was a worthier topic of discussion, after the AIIMS team declared that he died by suicide. Anchor Aishwarya Kapoor claimed that the channel’s editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami is going to make the “biggest revelation” about the case on Monday at 10 am. Hasn’t he been doing that since the actor died in June?
And Times Now‘s Navika Kumar continued to wage her tenacious battle against Bollywood, interviewing Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chairperson, Prasoon Joshi, on whether it is time for a “clean-up” of the industry.
“Introspection should definitely happen. But it is not right to paint the entire industry with a single brush. I believe that this industry will heal itself, it has the capability. I have no bias, I can do my job the way I do because I have no expectation from anyone,” Joshi said.
On whether he is scared after being appointed by PM Modi as the CBFC chief and showing a mirror to the industry, Joshi said, somewhat inexplicably, “I have seen people criticising PM on Twitter whatever happens, without knowing the reason at all. Criticism must happen, but constructively.”
