India Today anchors Rajdeep, Sawant clash over India-Pakistan boycott debate
Noida: A fiery on-air clash erupted between senior India Today journalists Rajdeep Sardesai and Gaurav Sawant during a panel discussion on whether India should boycott Pakistan in sports and culture over terrorism concerns. The debate, which aired as part of the channel’s Democratic Newsroom series on YouTube, quickly turned contentious after Sawant used the phrase "bloody Turks" while making a broader argument about Pakistan’s cultural affiliations.
The segment, which was about exploring cultural ties, diplomatic challenges, and public sentiment surrounding India-Pakistan relations, featured multiple panelists. However, it was an exchange between Sardesai and Sawant that drew sharp attention.
This comes amid Punjabi singer-star Diljit Dosanjh facing criticism for casting Pakistani star Hania Aamir in his upcoming Punjabi film Sardaar Ji 3.
Sawant, argued that India must take a firm position and sever all sporting and cultural ties with Pakistan, citing the global boycott of apartheid-era South Africa as a precedent. "If you have the will, boycott Pakistan and follow it to the hilt. It doesn’t have to take a decade, it may take a century, but just follow it through," he said.
He further questioned the narrative of shared cultural heritage between Indians and Pakistanis, stating, "Some Pakistanis call Arabs or Turks their forefathers, never Indians... they think they are bloody Turks."
This remark immediately drew a sharp response from Sardesai, who interjected, saying, "Look at the language being used." He urged his colleague to maintain "civilised language" during the discussion. "I’m astonished the way you think... you have no clue," Sardesai added.
Sawant retorted, accusing Sardesai of interrupting and failing to counter him on facts. "Was South Africa banned for apartheid or not? I’m giving you facts, and you’re interrupting me," he said, continuing to cite examples of international sporting boycotts. Sardesai dismissed, arguing, "That was not the reason the Cold War ended. Please don’t make foolish arguments."
Sardesai condemned Sawant’s characterisation of Pakistanis. "You’ve damned every Pakistani by claiming they don’t have Indian heritage. What an idiotic statement to make," he said. Sawant defended himself, calling Sardesai’s responses "silly" and insisted he be allowed to finish his point.
The moderator eventually stepped in and diverted the conversation to another panelist, Nikhil, who sided with Sawant on the issue of diplomatic failure. "The entire world came together during apartheid in South Africa. We’ve failed at diplomatic levels. When Pakistan was set to host the Champions Trophy, we tried hard to get those rights revoked. In the end, only our matches were held elsewhere, while the rest happened in Pakistan," Nikhil said.
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Niqab incident: Nitish Kumar perhaps revealing his true colours, says J-K CM
Srinagar (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday criticised his Bihar counterpart over the niqab incident and said that Nitish Kumar might be slowly revealing his true nature.
"Nitish Kumar, who was once considered a secular leader, may be slowly showing his true colours," Abdullah told reporters here on the sidelines of a function.
Abdullah said Kumar removing the face veil of a Muslim woman doctor was wrong and cannot be justified by any means.
"We have seen this kind of incident here several years ago. Have you forgotten how Mehbooba Mufti removed the burqa of a legitimate voter inside a polling station? That act was wrong, and this act (of Kumar) is also wrong.
"If the (Bihar) chief minister did not want to hand over the order to her (Muslim woman), they could have kept her aside. However, to humiliate her like this is totally wrong," the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said.
Kumar stirred a huge controversy after he removed the face veil of a Muslim woman at a function earlier this week.
