Opposition bloc INDIA announces boycott of shows of 14 TV anchors; List here
New Delhi (PTI): The opposition alliance INDIA on Thursday announced that it will boycott shows of 14 television anchors on several platforms, a decision the BJP compared with the Emergency. The News Broadcasters & Digital Association (NBDA) said the boycott sets a dangerous precedent and goes against the ethos of democracy.
The media committee of the bloc took the decision to boycott the programmes of these journalists and not send their representatives on debates hosted by them on such channels or platforms.
"Pursuant to the decision taken by INDIA Coordination Committee in its meeting on September 13, 2023, the INDIA parties will not send their representatives on the shows and events of the following anchors," a statement from the media committee of the opposition bloc said while listing the names of such journalists.
Justifying the action, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, who is a part of the committee of opposition parties that took the decision in their virtual meeting, said some channels have put up a "nafrat ka bazaar" (market for hatred) for the last nine years.
The BJP condemned the move with its chief spokesperson and MP Anil Baluni saying in a statement that opposition parties have displayed their repressive, dictatorial and negative mindset.
The BJP strongly opposes such a distorted mindset which curbs the freedom of expression, he said.
"The media was throttled during the Emergency and these 'ghamandia' alliance parties continue to work with the same anarchic and Emergency mindset," he said, alleging that such an "open threat" to the media amounted to suppressing the voice of people.
Khera, however, asserted that the INDIA parties have decided not to legitimise this "hate-filled narrative" which is corroding our society, he noted.
"That was the idea behind this decision," he said, adding that the opposition bloc does not want to be a party to any such action which adds hatred in society.
"We are not opposed to any of the anchors, but we do not want to be a party to such endeavours," Khera said, adding that they can create memes or target their leaders but will not create such an atmosphere.
"We will not be customers in this market of this hate," he asserted.
"We have taken this decision and issued this list with a heavy heart. We hope these anchors will do some introspection and take some corrective measures," the Congress leader also said.
Union minister Hardeep Puri compared the move to the Emergency that curbed media rights.
"The only instance we have seen of civil liberties being curtailed in India was during the Emergency in 1975," he said in a post on X.
"Open calls for eradication of Sanatan Dharma, FIRs against journalists and boycott of media reflect politics of those dark years of Emergency. True face of I.N.D.I.Alliance," he said.
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur also hit out at the opposition bloc, saying this move shows their desperation.
Addressing a public meeting in Rajasthan's Bhilwara, he said, "Everyday, the leaders of Congress and their allies say they will destroy Sanatan Dharma and leave no stone unturned to insult Hindus. Now they have even started boycotting journalists and are filing cases. Be it in Chennai or Bengal, they are filing cases out of desperation and panic, and at the same time they are saying that they will eradicate Sanatan Dharma."
Baluni said the opposition's decision also suggests that that these parties are unable to face the truth. It seems the opposition alliance is under some outside influence to target the media's freedom, he said.
"The BJP requests all media organisations and journalists dedicated to their duties to oppose such a distorted mindset while discharging their duties honestly," he said.
They should not fear this dictatorial mindset of the opposition's alliance and follow the higher values of working without fear or favour, the BJP leader said.
The BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya also took to X to say, "So I.N.D.I Alliance has released a list of journalists, who refused to even bend, when the Opposition expected them to crawl. They should wear it as a badge of honour. More power to them..."
The AAP also shared the list of journalists and the statement issued by the INDIA media committee on its X handle using the hashtag "#JudegaBharatJeetegaIndia".
The News Broadcasters & Digital Association (NBDA) expressed anguish and concern over the decision, saying it sets a dangerous precedent. The boycott goes against the ethos of democracy, the association said.
"It betokens intolerance and imperils press freedom. The opposition alliance claims to be the champion of pluralism and a free press, but its decision betrays callous disregard for democracy's most fundamental tenet - the inalienable right to openly express ideas and opinions.
"The boycott of certain journalists/anchors takes the nation back to the Emergency era, when the press was gagged, and independent opinions and voices were crushed," the NBDA said, urging the opposition alliance to withdraw its decision that amounts to browbeating journalists and stifling freedom of speech and expression.
Meanwhile, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) termed the boycott an attack on democracy.
The NUJ took strong exception to the INDIA parties' boycott of some journalists and condemned the same, alleging that the opposition parties have politicised the media.
The president of National Union of Journalists linked to the International Federation of Journalists, Ras Bihari, said in a statement that this decision of the opposition parties is a "black chapter" of repression on the media in India's democratic history.
"This is totally wrong and unacceptable," he said, adding that this reflects the lack of democratic values in these parties.
"The opposition alliance of 26 parties has shamed democracy through this action of boycott," he said, adding that they are conspiring to weaken the fourth pillar of democracy.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti's daughter and media advisor Iltija Mufti said the decision to boycott the anchors was long overdue.
"INDIA alliance's decision to boycott godi media anchors who only spew vitriol was long overdue. Their venomous shows have put the masses on a slow drip of bigotry by demonising minorities," she posted on X.
The list of 14 News Anchors boycotted by the I.N.D.I.A alliance is as follows :-
- Aditi Tyagi (Bharat Express)
- Aman Chopra (News 18 India)
- Amish Devgan (News18 India)
- Anand Narasimhan (CNN-News18)
- Arnab Goswami (Republic TV)
- Ashok Shrivastav (Doordarshan News)
- Chitra Tripathi (AajTak)
- Gaurav Sawant (India Today TV)
- Navika Kumar (Times Now/Times Now Navbharat)
- Prachi Parashar (India TV)
- Rubika Liyaquat (Bharat 24)
- Shiv Aroor (AajTak)
- Sudhir Chaudhary (AajTak)
- Sushant Sinha (Times Network)
The following decision was taken by the INDIA media committee in a virtual meeting held this afternoon. #JudegaBharatJeetegaIndia #जुड़ेगा_भारत_जीतेगा_इण्डिया pic.twitter.com/561bteyyti
— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) September 14, 2023
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ED arrests Sandeepa Virk, 'cosmetologist' for alleged money laundering
New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate said on Wednesday it has arrested a woman, who claims to be an actor and a cosmetologist, under the anti-money laundering law in a case of alleged fraud and misrepresentation.
The agency said the purported links of the woman, Sandeepa Virk, with a Reliance Group executive, Angarai Natarajan Sethuraman (President, Corporate Affairs), are also under its scanner. Sethuraman, in a statement, denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Virk was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Tuesday after searches were conducted against her and her associates in Delhi and Mumbai over the last two days.
A special court sent her to the ED's custody till August 14, the agency said. The woman claims to be the owner of a skin care products selling website named hyboocare.com, which the ED claimed was a "front" for money laundering.
She and her associates are being probed for allegedly exerting undue influence through "misrepresentation" and "defrauding" individuals by soliciting money under false pretences.
According to an Instagram ID of Virk, she is an actor and entrepreneur and the founder of the said website.
The federal agency said in a statement that the woman was also "in touch with" Sethuraman, former director of erstwhile Reliance Capital Limited.
She was communicating with him regarding "illegal liaisoning", the ED claimed, adding that the searches at Sethuraman's residence "confirmed" these allegations.
"Besides, diversion of funds for personal benefit has also been unearthed during the course of the search action," it said.
The ED alleged that public money worth about Rs 18 crore belonging to Reliance Commercial Finance Limited (RCFL) was disbursed to Sethuraman in 2018 by "flouting" prudent lending norms.
The funds were lent under terms that allowed a deferment of the principal amount as well as the interest, with multiple waivers granted and no due diligence conducted, it said.
The ED claimed that besides this, a home loan of Rs 22 crore was provided by Reliance Capital Limited by "violating" the prudential norms. "A large part of these loans are seen to have been eventually siphoned off and remained unpaid," it alleged.
Sethuraman, in a statement, dismissed the allegations as "baseless". He denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Detailing about Virk's web portal, the agency said it purportedly sold FDA-approved beauty products. However, the ED said the products listed on the website have been found to be non-existent and the portal lacks a user registration option and is plagued by persistent payment gateway issues.
A scrutiny of the website uncovered minimal social-media engagement, an inactive WhatsApp contact number and an absence of transparent organisational details, all of which reinforce the finding of "non-genuine" commercial activity, the ED claimed.
"These factors, including limited product range, inflated pricing, false claims of FDA approval and technical inconsistencies, indicate that the website serves as a front for laundering funds," it said.
Another social media-hosted bio data of the woman said she is a certified cosmetologist.
The ED said several "incriminating" documents were seized during the searches and the statement of a man named Farrukh Ali, stated to be an associate of Virk, was recorded.
The money-laundering case stems from an FIR lodged by the Punjab Police.
Sethuraman said that the home loan he received from Reliance Capital was granted following due process and was secured by the property offered as collateral.
