Bollywood filmmaker Anubhav Sinha has said that he was willing to pay to have Arnab Goswami’s Republic TV blacked on his set top box. Sinha, whose last film Mulk earned plenty of plaudits from experts and Bollywood fans, asked Airtel India he could pay a monthly subscription to ensure Republic TV was not available to him.
Sinha’s tweet read, “Dear @airtelindia I know it comes for free but can I please pay you monthly for blocking @republic on my set top box??? Please???”
Dear @airtelindia I know it comes for free but can I please pay you monthly for blocking @republic on my set top box??? Please???
— Anubhav Sinha (@anubhavsinha) February 17, 2019
Sinha’s tweet, now gone viral, evoked considerable reactions with many other social media users vowing to do the same. One user said that he will follow Sinha but will also include Zee News, India TV and Times Now. User I Patel wrote, “As well timesnow, zee news and India tv.” User Khushboo Tripathi wrote, “Terrific decision. I too want to block the channel.” User SD said that she had already managed to block Republic TV. She wrote, “Thank god, i finally kicked them outta my tv. Phew! What a relief…and big thank you to TRAI policy…I can decide what I don’t want.”
Channels like Republic, Times Now, Zee News, India TV and certain anchors on Aaj Tak, ABP and News18 India have come under public condemnation for whipping public sentiments by calling for a war against Pakistan. These channels and anchors are known toeing the government line and have often become targets of public criticism for never questioning the Narendra Modi government.
The terror attack in Pulwama, killing at least 42 Indian soldiers was a result of huge intelligence failure, but these channels have spent most of their air time either criticising the opposition parties or Hurriyat leaders in Jammu and Kashmir. None of these channels have till date has questioned the failure of the central government.