Arnab Goswami’s claims of being a flag-bearer of nationalism stood exposed last week as one of his trusted lieutenants stooped to a new low to publicly insult celebrated army veterans. Gaurav Arya, who identifies himself as an Army Major and presents a regular TV show on Goswami’s Republic TV, insulted his army seniors before issuing chilling threats of public assault. Those facing threats from Goswami’s TV colleague were Lt. Gen HS Panag and Brigadier (Retd) Sandy Thapar. This came weeks after FIR actress Kavita Kaushik and Saif Ali Khan’s co-star Kubbra Sait slammed Goswami for his shenanigans.
Arya’s decision to abuse and threaten his seniors of physical assault came after one of his seniors, a retired brigadier of the Indian army, took a potshot at Goswami’s twisted sense of journalism. Goswami, who’s positioned himself as a hardcore nationalist, has been left red-faced after China occupied a large swathe of Indian land in Eastern Ladakh recently before killing 20 Indian soldiers including a colonel rank officer.
Far from expressing his disgust at the government for failing to protect the Indian territory, Goswami expectedly shifted his anger to the opposition, thereby exposing his hypocrisy on the issue of nationalism.
Goswami either demanded answers from the opposition parties for the Chinese incursion or ran a campaign to boycott Chinese products on a TV show that was sponsored by Chinese companies.
Brigadier Sandy Thapar pointed out on Twitter how Arnab Goswami in his last debate had mentioned Colonel (Retd) Ajai Shukla 49 times in the first 16 minutes of his show. Brigadier Thapar tweeted, “@ajaishukla is the flavour of the day on @republic
.16 mins into the show, @ArnabGoswamiRTv has named him 49 times.& now it’s turn of @rwac48 (General Panag)! @majorgauravarya says I’ve been tolerating these two for 2-3 yrs now but won’t now!”
Brigadier Thapar also mocked Arya’s claims of being an armed forces veteran by highlighting his brief stint in the army on a Short Service Commission lasting for just five years. He wrote in Hindi mockingly, “Masaan Masaan (Jumma Jumma) 5 saal naukri aur ye tewar. (Just 5 years of service and showing such attitude).”
@ajaishukla is the flavour of the day on @republic. 16 mins into the show, @ArnabGoswamiRTv has named him 49 times.& now it’s turn of @rwac48!@majorgauravarya says I’ve been tolerating these two for 2-3 yrs now but won’t now!
मसां मसां (जुम्मा जुम्मा) 5 साल नौकरी और यह तेवर?
— Sandy Thapar (veteran) (@sandythapar) June 21, 2020
Responding to Brigadier Thapar’s tweet, General Panag wrote, “:) Two hoots!” Chhina agreed, “Well said sir. You need not respond to charlatans who know less about military tactics than a NCO (Non-Commissioned officers such as sepoys and Havildars).”
This evoked quite an unruly response from Arya as he warned Brigadier Thapar, General Panag and journalist Man Aman SinghChhina of a public thrashing. He wrote, “Sandy Thapar, Gen Panag and Man Aman Singh Chinna…don’t think that I cannot respond. Don’t cry when you get a thrashing in public. If you want to try, go ahead. And Man Aman Singh Chinna, don’t try to f**k with your pop, you joker.”
Chhina warned Arya to stay in his limits, prompting Goswami’s ‘yes man’ to resort to even more below-the-belt attacks. Arya then shifted his attention to Brigadier Thapar, who retired from the army after 36 years of service. Arya told him audaciously, “Sandy, you are jealous. You must have dragged your ass all over Mahajan and now you are wondering who is this guy?:
An amused Brigadier Thapar replied, “Lol. Darling I joined St Stephen’s before you were born. Honourably served 36 yrs vs ur 6 in army. Served 11 yrs in J&K (double ur entire service). Was involved with media before you could spell news. Ppl tell me despite being 60, i still look better than you. Me jealous Thinking face?”
Lol.
Darling I joined St Stephen’s before you were born. Honourably served 36 yrs vs ur 6 in army. Served 11 yrs in J&K (double ur entire service). Was involved with media before you could spell news.
Ppl tell me despite being 60, i still look better than you.
Me jealous ??
— Sandy Thapar (veteran) (@sandythapar) June 21, 2020
Arya appeared determined to display his worst behaviour as he replied to his senior even more disparagingly, “Thapar, which PVC did you get even if you served 30 years? You guys have made a cabal and now you are trying to browbeat others. Desist. You will get a rocket up your backside. Chinna you will get two rockets.”
Reminding Arya about military etiquette, Brigadier Thapar said, “It’s Brig Thapar. Shows how much you learnt in your ltd service in Army! Incidentally your bn was part of my bde. A very fine bn but I guess somewhat erred in your grooming. I put in 36 yrs, which is 7 times yours. Kindly don’t teach me. BTW even my son has twice your service!”
It’s Brig Thapar.
Shows how much you learnt in your ltd service in Army! Incidentally your bn was part of my bde. A very fine bn but I guess somewhat erred in your grooming.
I put in 36 yrs, which is 7 times yours. Kindly don’t teach me. BTW even my son has twice your service!
— Sandy Thapar (veteran) (@sandythapar) June 21, 2020
Arya’s decision to insult his seniors, all decorated war heroes, earned him plenty of condemnation from Twitterati. Many questioned his audacity to lecture his seniors, who had spent decades serving the army in comparison with Arya’s mere five years of service. They asked why he had chosen to quit the army just after the five years of service if he claimed to be more patriotic than his seniors.
This clown, who claims to be a military expert, RETIRED as Major. Fresh entrants from NDA normally reach that level in 6 years. And Gaurav Arya retired at that level. https://t.co/MHhZ2DHQ5T
— rkhuria2 (@rkhuria2) June 21, 2020
Mr. Thapar – Honourably served 36 yrs vs ur 6 in army. Served 11 yrs in J&K (double ur entire service). Was involved with media before you could spell news.
Gaurav Arya ,Be like – pic.twitter.com/MHufEoSnvi
— Neeraj Raj? (@neeraj21345) June 21, 2020
Wow, Brigadier Thapar Ji is on ?And giving Gaurav Arya a tight slap.
These fake nationalists deserve to be humiliated publicly.
Read and enjoy ? ? pic.twitter.com/b0VbcAMwYO— Nadeem Gaur (@Nadeem_gaur92) June 21, 2020
A noob wants two veterans to get thrashed. This man is a disgrace. You are not retired gaurav arya, you ran away from ur duties in just 5 years.
— Doctor Adani™ 2.0 ? (@AdaniHu) June 21, 2020
Gaurav Arya Tenure at army was shorter than anupam kher’s hair
Inspirational credits @niiravmodi
— Teju surya 2.0 (@Tejusurya_) June 21, 2020
Army veterans are incensed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s clean chit to China on the recent military transgressions in the Galwan Valley in Eastern Ladakh. Arya is accused of defending the BJP government in his zeal to support the Hindutva ideology even when the prime minister’s extraordinary statement was widely deemed as an insult to the deaths of 20 soldiers.
Earlier, several celebrities including FIR actress Kavita Kaushik, filmmaker Anubhav Sinha and actress Kubbra Sait had slammed Goswami for his shenanigans in the recent days leading to his interrogation by the Mumbai Police.