New Delhi: Prime time Monday moved away from coronavirus, momentarily, to discuss the lynching of two sadhus in Palghar, Mumbai. Some news anchors wondered why the “Khan market gang” — yes, that phrase is back — had been silent on these lynchings.
News 18 India’s anchor Amish Devgan asserted, “Sadhuon ki lynching par sannata hai,” (There’s complete silence on the lynching of those sadhus).
Devgan was seeking a response from a particular group, “Sadhu ki lynching par award-wapsi gang, Khan Market gang chup chaap aur khamosh hai,” (the award wapsi gang, Khan market gang quiet on sadhus’ lynching).
Later, he said, “Bheedtantra ko galat phemi batana sharamnaak hai,” (Calling mob justice a misunderstanding is shameful). He was referring to the fact that Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that the incident took place because of a misunderstanding and urged everyone not to communalise it.
Discussing the same incident, ABP News’ anchor Rubika Liyaquat was her usual dramatic self, “Iss vishay ko sun kar dukh hota hai aur sawal yeh aata hai ki yeh loktantra hai ya bheed tantra” (Thinking of this incident saddens me and makes me wonder whether this country is a democracy or one based on mob justice).
Liyaquat was in conversation with Swami Avdheshanand, Mahamandelshwar of Juna Akhada, who said, “Sanyasi prakrati ka roop hote hai,” (sanyasi’s are a form of nature)”.
He added, “Attacking a sanyasi is similar to an attack on dharma.”
NDTV India’s Ravish Kumar attacked the Whatsapp University — “By now Whatsapp University must be indulging in all sorts of fake news on the lynching case”. He noted that on WhatsApp, poisonous rumours about the Palghar incident have been circulating.
The Palghar incident itself began after rumours surfaced that the two sadhus were child abductors. The report highlighted that after the incident, several cartoons and memes were being circulated on social media that gave the incident a distinct communal tinge. The memes made it seem like this was an attack of one community on another, even though the chief minister and home minister of Maharashtra categorically denied any communal element to the incident.
“Sampradayikta phelana ka khurag jhoot hai” (Communalism is spread through lies), Kumar said.
Times Now anchor Rahul Shivshankar, however, was still stuck on the origins of coronavirus and was not convinced by the theory that it emerged from the wet markets in China. Shivshankar revealed, “After this outbreak, there has been a huge amount of focus on the culpability of the Chinese establishment in spreading the virus and not doing enough and not alerting the world about the virulence of this virus.”
Shivshankar brought out a groundbreaking revelation — “There is a leaked thesis — every disease in China begins from Guangdong but Covid-19’s hub was Wuhan in central China.”
“Wuhan P4 labs deal in highly similar viruses,” he reminded his viewers.
India Today’s anchor Rajdeep Sardesai just did not have any good news, “India’s two biggest cities Delhi and Mumbai are seeing no let up in coronavirus cases and the virus is now attacking health care workers which is forcing the suspension of 10 hospitals in Mumbai.”
He continued, “The biggest worry is a lot of coronavirus patients are turning out to be asymptomatic”.
ET Now’s anchor Nayantara Rai was in conversation with lawyer Harish Salve. Rai explained, “China slammed India’s new FDI rules and called it discriminatory and illegal”.
The Indian government had amended the FDI rules Saturday to prevent any hostile takeovers by Chinese companies of Indian firms adversely affected by the coronavirus crisis.
Rai asked, “What is your reaction to what India has announced?”
Salve was feeling particularly salty towards China, “I am always amused when China uses constitutional epithets such as discriminatory in a country which tops the charts in terms of grinding people who protest in Hong Kong.”
“It is always interesting when they start using the language of rule of law,” he continued.
Salve also broke down the word ‘discriminatory’ — “Discrimination is where you treat similar people dissimilarly. China is a class unto itself.”
