New Delhi: Prime time Thursday was consumed by the “discrepancies” in data related to coronavirus cases and death tolls across the country.
India Today’s Rahul Kanwal exposed how the number of tests conducted in Delhi had been reduced. Whereas, NDTV 24×7 wondered whether the unreported deaths in Chennai could double the city’s count.
Meanwhile, Times Now’s Navika Kumar reported “horrors” from a hospital in Maharashtra, where she claimed a patient “literally rotted to death” owing to grave lapses in health infrastructure.
India TV also continued with its exposé from Delhi’s LNJP hospital.
However, some anchors found space for other ills: Zee News focused on the meaning of “secularism” while Deepak Chaurasia on News Nation was busy trying to prove how Mewat is turning into “mini Pakistan.”
On India TV, anchor Rajat Sharma continued his exposé of the Lok Nayak Jan Pal Hospital in Delhi. This time he had a response from the hospital’s medical superintendent, which he called “shocking”.
“Puri raat mein theek se nahi ho paya, un videos ke baare me soch soch ke kitne logon ki neend udd gayi. Lekin LNJP ke Medical Superintendent Dr Suresh Kumar iss baat se jara bhi pareshan nahi the, unhone kaha ki wo dekhne gaye the lekin unhe kahi koi garbari nazar nai aaya,” (I didn’t sleep the entire night due to the video, but LNJP’s medical superintendent Dr Suresh Sharma was unaffected by this. He said he went and checked in the hospital but found no issues) said Sharma.
Dr Suresh Kumar, in a pre-recorded video, said,“Kayi baar hum patients ke kapre nikal kar unhe CPR dete he, neeche ke kaapre urine catheter lagene ke liye nikale gaye the. Kayi bar patients kinare pe toh slip hojata he,” (Several times we remove the patient’s clothes to perform CPR or insert a urine catheter. Patients also slip from the bed”).
In the next part of the show, Sharma systematically dismantled everything Dr Kumar said.
“Taliyon thaliyan hum bhi bajatae he, lekin koi doctor mujhe ye kahe ki hospital mein bohot kamzor bohot gambhir log aate he, garmi bohot he, islye maut ho jati hai, isiliye marizon ki koi nahi sunta, ye sab koi baat nai he.. Ye baat sunkar mujhe bohot dukh hua,” (We have also clapped, but when the doctor tells me that those who come to the hospital are too sick, and it is too hot therefore they die, it pains me).
CNN News 18’s Marya Shakil was sceptical if we were getting to see the “full picture” on the Covid-19 crisis or whether it was “just the tip of an iceberg”.
“The Corona crisis has exposed the sheer weakness of India’s medical structure. Even as cases rise, apathy and negligence has been reported from several paths of India, horror stories where many have died due to the lack of basic care.”
Shakil pointed out a major “discrepancy” in death toll numbers reported by the Delhi government, “What we’re being told now is that the MCD says that since March, 2000 funerals have been held so far but the official death toll in Delhi stands at 984.”
Meanwhile in Chennai, Shakil revealed that 200 missing deaths have emerged showcasing a discrepancy between state government and civic authorities.
Shakil questioned, “Are all deaths being accurately tracked?”
India Today’s Rahul Kanwal had some “alarming” statistics too, “The test positivity ratio which calculates the number of people testing positive out of 100, is now the highest in the national capital. On 19 May the test positivity ratio in Delhi was just 7 per cent, from there till now it has shot through the sky to about 25 per cent.”
Kanwal had another concern — “Another thing …is that the number of tests being conducted is actually decreasing. It is a double whammy of sorts….”
At Republic TV Arnab Goswami’s target was the historian, Ramachandra Guha.
Goswami was dismissive of Guha, calling him a “sports writer turned professional troll”. Goswami called out Guha for a “communal rant against the Gujarati community”. Guha had tweeted his views on Gujaratis, which has led to a fierce online debate.
Goswami was livid, “He says that Gujaratis are culturally backward and Bengalis are economically backward. Later… he says I was only quoting someone. Well, why did you have to?’’ Good question, Mr Goswami.
Then he found his own answer: “Because you can’t beat Modi and Shah politically, you target the state they come from to satisfy your defeatist political urge. Horrendous.”
On Taal Thok Ke, Zee News anchor Aman Chopra was all of fire and brimstone against the ‘secular gang’ for its ‘silence’ over Kashmiri Pandit sarpanch Ajay Pandita’s murder. In fact, the headline of the show was — ‘Hinduon ke khilaaf jihadi agenda kab tak?”
First, he played actor Kangana Ranaut’s video, where she slams Bollywood over selective outrage — “Hinduon ko ye log secularism sikhate he,” Ranaut said in the video.
Chopra juxtaposed Ranaut with actor Deepika Padukone’s presence at the JNU protests in January, to slam Bollywood over ‘Jihadi agenda.’ — “Wahan par Dilli dangon ki script likhi ja rahi the, (the script for the Delhi riots was being written there,” Chopra claimed.
At NewsNation, Deepak Chaurasia was least bothered with the pandemic. His worry was historical: In a continuation of yesterday’s debate he dwelt on ‘conspiracies are in action’ against the Hindus of Mewat in the last 70 years. He declared, “Hindu girls’ lives become hell in Mewat due to Jamaat.”, for the last 35 years.
Mewat was recently in the news because a retired district judge, reportedly, submitted a report to the Haryana government claiming that “Aurangzeb-like brutal atrocities are being committed against Dalits in Mewat”.
Chaurasia doesn’t think twice before adding, “Jamaatiyon ne waha mini Pakistan bana liya hai.” (“Jamaat has created a mini Pakistan there’’)
One of the panelists, BJP’s Ashwini Upadhyay then made tall claims that wherever Hinduism has declined “wahan wahan ashanti badhi hein.”. (There is unrest there)
Hearing this, Islamic scholar Ilyas Sharafuddin bursted out laughing.