The continuing controversy over certain news channels’ decision to broadcast doctored video related to JNU students is refusing to die down.
On Monday jantakareporter.com reported how the Delhi government had decided to initiate criminal action against three news channels namely Zee News, NewsX and Times Now after the report suggested that the channels in question had broadcast doctored video.
Faced with increasing criticism and condemnation, the owner of Zee Media, Subhash Chandra, on Monday resorted to an unprecedented step when he made an appearance on his news channel to clarify his stand over the controversy.
In his 10-minutes long speech, he sought to distance himself and his channel from the BJP and categorically denied that the saffron party was determining its editorial agenda, as is widely being alleged on social media.
Even before the public discourse on his sudden appearance on live TV had ended, the social media users on Wednesday took to microblogging site once again to step up their attack against the channel.
This followed the online petition currently being signed demanding the closure of the news channel.
Social media users started a trend #BJPBhaktZeeNews implying that the channel was nothing but a BJP’s mouthpiece. This despite Chandra’s public denial that Zee News had nothing to do with the BJP.
Within minutes the hashtag became a top national trend, which many would argue was indicative of the level of anger against the channel among the news consuming Indian audience.
Here are some highlights of the twitter conversation:
Supari journalism of #BJPBhaktZeeNews exposed by its own reporter Vishwadeepak !
Shame shame !https://t.co/oX8tl17g6j— कोमल 🙂 (@Komal_Indian) March 9, 2016
Shut down ZeeNews for misleading & Biased Journalism #BJPBhaktZeeNews
— Kumar Shashwat (@kumarshashwat97) March 9, 2016
Don't forget to sign this petition against #BJPBhaktZeeNews for biased & yellow journalismhttps://t.co/PzqNN1ErhS pic.twitter.com/3hlhRRULr8
— Anurag Pandey (@anak2422anak) March 9, 2016
If there is anything more irritating than watching Sambit Patra speak, is watching Sambit Patra n Tihadi speaking 2gether#BJPBhaktZeeNews
— Hemant (@Hemant_80) March 9, 2016
Their is a nexus between BJP and Modi..but strange to see Zee news defending BJP every time #BJPBhaktZeeNews
— Rahis Khan (@rahiskhan77) March 9, 2016
According to chaddis channel @ZeeNews. This is modi ji smart city under in progress. Bhakto Burnol?#BJPBhaktZeeNews pic.twitter.com/F55zWBt30a
— Faraaz Khan (@AIMIM_faraaz) March 9, 2016
#BJPBhaktZeeNews zee news plays with image of people for BJP political gain @DrKumarVishwas pic.twitter.com/O9iioDBgV0
— Delhite (@Aapka_Aashiq) March 9, 2016
U shud be glad u are in India @_SubhashChandra in another country you'd be jailed and your gutter TV shut down for good. #BJPBhaktZeeNews
— Main Hoon Na (@neo_pac) March 9, 2016
Heights of #BJPBhaktZeeNews
ZeeMusic banned Sonu Nigam bcoz he found @DrKumarVishwas video doctored & supported KV pic.twitter.com/97y5aCaRzr— Anurag Pandey (@anak2422anak) March 9, 2016
Zee's head who told us important things about tax money w/ Kingfisher head who ran away with it cc:#BJPBhaktZeeNews pic.twitter.com/XPvUQNJJzx
— Rahul M (@twrahul) March 9, 2016
#bjpbhaktzeenews Ministry of Information & Broadcasting: Shut Down Zee News For Misleading & Biased Journalis… https://t.co/SM6MpZxMpX v
— Asheesh Mishra (@asheeshmishra15) March 9, 2016
Senior Journalist Abhey Dubey on #BJPBhaktZeeNews pic.twitter.com/Sjr76PaJJi
— Jitender Singh (@jitenderkhalsa) March 9, 2016
@ZeeNews chairman openly said in his biography that he supported Modi' s campaign. He agrees that #BJPBhaktZeeNews pic.twitter.com/4G0lDlTUHN
— DrVatsa (@DocVatsa) March 9, 2016
Shame on #BJPBhaktZeeNews@DrKumarVishwas was so right when he said that they @zeenews should rename- ZeeHuzoorNews pic.twitter.com/R9v7hvOXBz
— Anurag Pandey (@anak2422anak) March 9, 2016
Be it the fake news of @DrKumarVishwas (which court has dismissed) or Fake JNU videos .@ZeeNews banks on maligning only!#BJPBhaktZeeNews
— DrVatsa (@DocVatsa) March 9, 2016
People dont worry about Yamuna, once event is over we will tell ZeeNews that Yamuna is BJP so that they clean it by licking#BJPBhaktZeeNews
— भयंकर परमाणु बम (@BhayankarLog) March 9, 2016
Here's how Nivedita Menon exposes #BJPBhaktZeeNews on Kafila pic.twitter.com/TwlvSQJagf
— Angellica Aribam (@AngellicAribam) March 9, 2016
Here's Subhash Chandra volunteering as booth agent for BJP "Kapde faad doonga",he tells the voters https://t.co/kZHBZBv7hC#BJPBhaktZeeNews
— Scotchy (@scotchism) March 9, 2016
LOL, GhantaKaReporter. You people just suck the asss of Kejriwal.
LOl. Miya Rifat why publishing only aap supporters tweet. Komal, Jitender Singh , Anurag Pandey , Kumar Shashwat are aap supporters. Just check #BJPBhaktZeeNews trends. 75% are in favour of Zee news.