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Delhi riots — Times Now’s ironic appeal for calm, BJP & Arnab thank Delhi Police

A quick take on what prime time TV news talked about.

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New Delhi: Now that the Trump spectacle is finally over, news channels shifted their focus entirely to the Delhi riots, some questioning the role of the police, some surveying the damage as parts of Northeast Delhi went up in flames in the past four days. Channels like Times Now, ABP, News Nation appealed for calm – which is ironic given the hostility and animosity routinely observed on news debates.

On ABP, reporters visited two different riot affected regions. The first visited Khajoori Khas and marveled at how the street looked as though it had been broken, but was actually just filled with bricks and stones that people had thrown at each other. “It’s like there was an earthquake here,” he exclaimed. 

The second reporter visited Delhi’s Shiv Vihar just a few kilometers away. “Does this look like the capital of Delhi to you?” he asked incredulously, as the camera panned across the desolate colony’s empty streets and charred buildings. “Rioters entered streets and parking lots and set every car in sight on fire” he added, constantly describing the scene as “bhayanak” (horrific) and “darawaana” (terrifying). 

Times Now claimed it took “great care to sanitise visuals” as most pictures were  “too distressing to show”. In a rather dramatic sermon to the people of Delhi, anchor Rahul Shivshanker appealed for viewers to not be swayed by rumors. “The time has come that we see ourselves not as sum of parts but as whole body,” he lectured viewers. Again, this sits oddly on a channel that routinely pits panelists against each other to generate drama.   

India Today’s Rajdeep Sardesai also visited the riot-affected Chand Bagh, and met with Congress’ Sandeep Dikshit, former MLA of the area. Dixit claimed he had visit 15-20 different pockets of Delhi, and it was clear after speaking to several Hindu, Muslim and even Sikh people that tensions heightened after BJP MP Kapil Mishra’s Sunday ultimatum at Jaffrabad. He said there was absolutely no doubt that the police were partisan to the violence. 

“So you are questioning the police?” asked Sardesai, as if everyone hadn’t been accusing the police of ineptness for the last four days. “No. I am directly saying they were involved,” replied Dikshit.

On NDTV 24×7 ‘s ‘Left, Right,Centre’, too, the police came in for strictures. Senior advocate Vrinda Grover cited a Common Cause report that indicated the police had developed an institutional communal bias. 

“If we shut our eyes and do not acknowledge the problem, we are in serious trouble”, she warned. 

RSS ideologue Desh Ratan Nigam dismissed Grover for calling the CAA “communal” in nature. She hit back, saying it was unconstitutional and could be challenged in the Supreme Court. “Stop scaring people,  I won’t let you intimidate me”, she told him squarely. 

On Republic TV, Arnab Goswami interrupted all his panelists, reminding them it was ‘his’ prime time debate, and took a moment to say a collective “thank you” to the Delhi police, and criticised Congress leader Sonia Gandhi for questioning their role in the riots. His own reporters had found the police response to the rioting wanting, so this sounded rather hollow. 

BJP’s G.V.L. Narasimha Rao was also all praise for the police. On Aaj Tak’s ‘Dangal’ with Rohit Sardana’, the anchor pointedly asked him if his party was embarrassed after the Delhi High Court pulled up the Delhi police in court for their inaction in the violence. 

Rao just congratulated the Delhi police, and said they had successfully squashed the ploy to create another Shaheen Bagh in Jaffrabad and the party saluted them for their work. 

Sardana then needled Congress’ Asif Khan. Sardana asked him, “No one has lost citizenship, but 25 lives have been lost. Do you take responsibility for what’s happened?” 

Like a true politician, Khan said that the anti-CAA movement has been peaceful, and will remain peaceful — SC had even given Shaheen Bagh ‘recognition’ and appreciation. 

Zee News’ special `Taal Thok Ke’ segment focused on ‘How protesters are trying to create the scene of 1974 Riots’. We think they might have meant 1984. 

Dimagi dange se desh ki azaadi kab?’ (When will the country get freedom from the riots in the mind) was the question put before the panel. BJP’s G.V.L Narasimha Rao coolly appealed to Delhi’s residents to not be influenced by anyone or give in to any rumors. “Yeh Dilli sabki hain, yeh desh sabka hain” (This Delhi is everyone’s, this country is everyone’s), he insisted, adding that the Home Minister and the PM are concerned for everyone, which is why they sent the NSA to affected regions today.

On News 18 India, activist Asad Khan Falahi said that if right-wing leaders are being blamed for giving inflammatory speeches, we must remember that AIMIM’s Owaisi, Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor and Mani Shankar Aiyar had also given speeches at Shaheen Bagh. “If the mandir-masjid issue could be settled in court, then why can’t CAA also be left to court?”

AAP’s Ghanendra Bhardwaj, wondered that if the Home Ministry had intelligence reports that something would go wrong during US President Donald Trump’s visit, why didn’t the government take preventative action?

Why, indeed.

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20 COMMENTS

  1. A serious thought to be given to create a separate NDRF type of department to deal with such expected or unexpected violence.

  2. Sadak sirf feku ke baap ki hain isliye Ahmedabad ki sadak 24/2/20 ko uske baap Donald duck ke liye aam logo ko chalneke liye band thi.

  3. Times Now is not bigoted like the Print. Times Now is clear about India First. You love Anti-India forces, so naturally you hate Times Now. They are more credible than 6ou.

  4. The Rioters must not be spared – be it hindu or muslim.. but of late Muslims minority is also showing signs that they are above the law by doing all kind of nonsense, protests, anti-national activities & thinks PM, HM … All will stoop down to them– Bloody fools. The country cannot bow to such barbaric hooliganism in the name of Democratic rights, secular rights, peaceful protest etc.. bla bla.. Nothing of that sort is going to happen & all these parasite elements will get a hard kick soon.!!

    • In other words you hate democracy . This government is the product of such backward thinking , narrow minded
      bigots with a lust for authoritarianism

    • बेवकूफ तो तुम हो जो सबको पर दंगा आग लगाकर इसे शांति पूर्ण विरोध बता रहे हो।

  5. It is the press, which ignited the issue about CAA and its wrong interpretation by people and some interested political parties. Now press is taking credit for quietening the riots. The press/media should introspect their past actions, just to increase TRP. I never heard any media going to public to explain CAA or advising the public to redress the issue thru Courts. Why these crocodile tears now !!!

  6. Any one knows about the CAA but the poor people were brain washed by illiterate people now see the result 20 peoples were killed where are those mad people who provoked. India is of people by the people and for the people. please say no more violence. we indians should love each other as we are brothers and sisters. we love india.

  7. Why SO MUCH HATE AGAINST HUMANITY….. IT IS THE RELIGION THAT DIVIDES Humanity…. We ate a SPIRITUAL NATION, WHY NOT RESPECT ALL RELIGION AND RESPECT APEX COURT RULING ON ALL ISSUES.. AFTER ALL THE JUDGES ARE Fair and WISE… LET US RESPECT AND EMBRACE PEACE AND HARIMONY…

    • Judges are also human n could be biased, while most of the judges go by their training not to be biased there are some judges whose actions indicates they are anti government, even in cases where government is right

  8. Print write the truth don’t spread malice to earn your treasure.you are breaking all journalistic codes of conduct I know you want to aggravate the situation and sell your channel don’t do this I am sorry to say this

  9. The channels who day in and day out spread communal venom on their prime time have become sane and appealing for peace.It reminds the famous saying of feku hipocracy ki bhi koi sima Hoti hain.and the godi media presstitute s have broken it.

  10. Who is this freak Arnab thanking the delhi police for being mere spectators, and doing nothing as they were instructed by the Central govt to do nothing,

  11. The Muslims are under impression that they are now rule the nation from street. Blocking roads and metro stations cannot solve the problems. If they are aggrieved then they seek their remedy in Pakistan. Hindus are also ready to burn Muslim gali, mohalla.

    • कोर्ट सबसे ज्यादा जिम्मेदार हैं दिल्ली हिंसा की कोर्ट ने क्यों नहीं प्रदर्शन करियो को ऑर्डर दिया की सड़क को खाली करे । रामलीला मैदान में करे सड़क किसी की निजी प्रोपेटी नहीं है।

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