Hamid Mir alleges Arnab Goswami pays Pakistani panelists to ‘Abuse India’ in TV debates
New Delhi: Prominent Pakistani Journalist Hamid Mir has alleged that Indian television anchor Arnab Goswami pays Pakistani panelists to "abuse India" during debates on his channel to boost Television Rating Points (TRPs). Mir made these claims in an interview with Pakistan-based digital news outlet The Current.
During the interview, Mir recounted his early interactions with Goswami. “When Arnab Goswami was working with NDTV, around 20–22 years ago, I appeared on his show in New Delhi for the first time. Back then, he was just a journalist. After leaving NDTV and joining Times Now, he would still invite me to his shows. He used to call me and say, ‘Hamid bhai,’ and anyone who calls me ‘bhai,’ I usually oblige. So, I used to join his programs.”
Mir claimed things changed when Goswami launched Republic TV. “Later, I came to know that BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar had invested in Republic TV. Many people told me that Arnab invites Pakistani intellectuals, politicians, and journalists, pays them, and instructs them to ‘abuse India’ on air.”
Mir said he personally asked some of these guests about the claim. “They told me, ‘Yes, we are paid and we abuse India.’ I asked why Goswami wanted this, and they said he gives us three minutes to bash India and then spends ten minutes bashing Pakistan. That way, his TRPs go up. That’s when I stopped appearing on his shows.”
He also recalled an incident when Goswami falsely claimed that Rawalpindi had been devastated during tensions between India and Pakistan. “I visited Rawalpindi, recorded a video, and posted it online to counter his claim. He didn’t like that,” Mir said, adding, “He is no longer a journalist, so I don’t see a reason to respond to him anymore.”
When asked about Indian journalist Barkha Dutt, Mir responded, “She has visited this office several times. She has been part of our programs too. Once, she claimed a Pakistani pilot had been arrested. I’m still waiting for her to release that photo. I’ll comment on her when she does. For now, I’m giving her some margin.”
Arnab Goswami invites Pakistanis on Republic TV and pay them to abuse India?
— Abhishek (@AbhishekSay) June 9, 2025
Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir says many politicians and journalists told him that Arnab pays them to abuse India in TV debates, after which Indian panelists are given more time to respond, all for TRP. pic.twitter.com/dlJqsta7NN
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Conflicting claims emerge over former Ashoka University missing student as parents seek probe
Gurugram/New Delhi: A case involving a former Ashoka University student has drawn attention after her parents alleged she went missing and sought a probe into an alleged network, while court records indicate that the woman had left home voluntarily and sought legal protection to live independently.
According to The Print, the parents, who are both academics, have approached the Haryana State Commission for Women, alleging that their daughter was manipulated and used by university officials. They have requested a probe by the National probe Agency and have named multiple individuals, including academic members, researchers, and students, in their complaints.
However, the university stated that the woman ceased to be a student in May 2023 and that its instructors and staff have no participation in the situation.
According to documentation in the case, the woman, who was 22 at the time, left her Rohtak home on October 24, 2023. In her written communication with police officers and the station house officer in Sonipat, she stated that she had departed on her own accord, alleging years of physical and emotional abuse at home and demanding secrecy regarding her location.
She subsequently recorded a statement before a magistrate under provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure. She affirmed her decision to live independently and in later complaints, she alleged continued attempts by her family to contact her and sought police protection.
Court records from the Delhi High Court show that she appeared in person before the court in May 2024 and stated that she wished to choose her own way of life and did not want to interact with her family. The court noted her statement and recorded that she was a major acting of her own volition.
In a subsequent order, the court noted that she had been provided police protection since November 2023 and was residing independently, granting her liberty to approach the court again if required.
The parents, meanwhile, have maintained that their daughter was a meritorious student and alleged that she was traced earlier to premises linked to university staff. They also raised concerns over financial transactions and a name change, which they claim point to a larger network.
At the centre of their allegations is Bittu Kaveri Rajaraman, an associate professor at the university. No response has been issued by the individuals named in the complaint so far.
After the matter was taken up by the women’s commission, chairperson Renu Bhatia said the panel may recommend a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
During the hearings, a lawyer claiming to represent the woman arrived before the commission even though she had not been summoned and the commission has asked for her personal appearance.
