New Delhi: Prime time Thursday varied across news TV channels. While ABP News was consumed with figuring out the whereabouts of Tablighi Jamaat chief Maulana Saad, Zee News was still trying to get over the FIRs filed against their star anchor Sudhir Chaudhary.
India Today and NDTV discussed the central government’s economic package.
ABP News’ Rubika Liyaqaut was stikl concerned about the Tablighi Jamaat, “Faila kar corona kahan chuppe hai maulana?” (Where is Maulana hiding after spreading corona?)
But then she got upset when Sangit Ragi, Professor, Delhi University claimed that Tablighi Jamaat harbours terrorists. Liyaquat was visibly upset and clarified, “Aapko pata nahi hai Tablighi karte kya hai. Unhone aatankwadi nahi paida ki hai…Tablighi ek accha Muslim banne mein vishwas rakhte hai.” (You don’t know what Tablighis do. They haven’t spread terrorism….They believe in being good Muslims).
Liyaquat continued, “Par aap yeh mat kahiye ki Tablighi aatankwadi paida karte hai isiliye kyunki unki soch thodi extremist hai,” (Don’t say that Tablighis spreadnterrorism just because their ideology is extreme).
Ragi seemed to be at a loss of words so he went on the offensive, “Aap Tablighi hai kya.” (Are you a Tablighi?) Not your best move Mr Ragi.
News18 India’s Prateek Trivedi was quite committed to delivering news to his viewers. Despite a heavy storm and rain in Delhi, he sat inside his car and continued his prime time show, while his cameraman stood outside.
Trivedi explained, “Maine bataya tha ki tufaan aur andhi aa rahi hai, par usse bhi badi woh hai jo poora mulk jhel raha hai,” (I told you that a storm was brewing, but currently the country is going through an even bigger storm).
This was a not-so-veiled reference to the migrants and the Centre’s latest steps to alleviate their suffering, “Sarkar ne ek desh ek ration card, saste makaan, mazdoori badhane ki baat ki hai.” (The government has announced one nation one ration card, increasing wages and decreasing property rates for labourers)
Trivedi wondered out loud, “Kaise sudhara jaaye?” (How to improve the situation?)
Meanwhile, Zee News’ anchor Sachin Arora defended his colleague Sudhir Chaudhary, “Zameen jihad ka sach batane par Zee News ke editor Sudhir Chaudhary ko dhamkiyon ka silsila ab bhi jaari hai,” (Zee News’ Sudhir Chaudhary is still getting threatened because of exposing the truth behind zameen jihad).
An FIR has been filed against Chaudhury in Kerala accusing him of spreading religious animosity and hurting sentiments of the Muslims community with a segment of his show that talked about “different types of jihad”.
Arora continued, “After exposing this news, we have been receiving threats from Kashmir, Pakistan, Khalistanis etc.”
However, Arora made it clear to anyone who was wondering otherwise, “Dhamki se darne wala nahi hai Zee News aur Zee News ka editor,” (Neither Zee News nor its editor is scared of threats).
NDTV 24×7 anchor Sonia Singh gave a rundown of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s latest announcements, “Day 2 of Finance Minister’s announcements today. She said one nation one ration card will be a reality soon. Also, free food grains for migrants for 2 months. Free food for even those without ration cards.”
Singh did a reality check on the actual plight of migrant workers — “But as that announcement came in Delhi, here’s the reality on the roads of India’s largest migration home. Today, 14 migrant labourers died in road accidents. Pregnant women and children are the hardest hit as they make their long journey home,” she said.
India Today’s Rajdeep Sardesai was also concerned about these economic packages — “Industrial activity has come to a halt. Amid such circumstances, PM Modi’s much awaited economic package of Rs 20 lakh crore has set about a political and economic debate. Modi says aim to make India self-reliant and use the crisis as an opportunity.”
“Is this enough to tide over the magnitude of the crisis and truly be self-reliant?” asked Sardesai.
ET Now’s Nayantara Rai was in conversation with R.K Singh, Minister of State Power and Renewable Energy on the “Rs 90,000 coronavirus booster shot” to the sector.
Rai asked, “You have been seen as one of the biggest reformers in the council of ministers, maybe (there is an) acknowledgement of sorts that in the first press conference held by the Finance Minister, the power sector has got a Rs 90,000 crore rupee lifeline. Can you tell us a little bit more about this massive liquidity boost?”
Singh said, “We are going to give the distribution companies of the states that Rs 90,000 crore credit. What has happened is that because of lockdown, tariff , realisations by distribution companies had come down by 10 to 15 per cent of what it used to be so distribution companies were not in a position to pay for power to generation companies… with this money, distribution companies will be able to pay to generation companies.
