Republic TV founder Arnab Goswami returned to fervently defend the BJP last week as he launched a tirade against what he termed were supporters of the Congress party. Launching a hashtag #GoBackMirJafars, Goswami alleged that the Congress and certain anti-government journalists were colluding with Pakistanis to build sentiments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, soon his debate turned comical after Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Sholay began to dominate the proceedings on Republic TV.
This was after one Majid Hyderi asked Goswami, “I have one question. If the Congress is about Mir Jafars, what about the BJP? The BJP is Soorma Bhopali (one of the famous characters from the Bollywood film Sholay). Everyone knows that Pakistan and China are like Jai and Veeru (two characters played by Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra in Sholay).”
This irked Arnab Goswami as he attacked the panelist saying that he was using ‘C-grade’ lines. Goswami said, “He’s making a mockery of this debate. This Majid Hyderi reminds of the famous Sholay character, who often said main angrezon ke zamaane ka jailer hoon.)”
The guest in question was in no mood to be outsmarted by Goswami as he came up with another Sholay analogy. He said, “Aap Ki jail mein surang hai (Your jail has a tunnel underneath). Have some shame. The government has created a tunnel in your jail.”
Goswami replied, “Stop, you modern-day Gabbar Singh. No You are Gabbar Singh. You are the modern-day Kaalia.”
Goswami then lost his cool against journalist Saba Naqvi, who questioned the journalism of the pro-government journalists for not asking difficult questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. An angry Goswami said that he needed to stoop to Naqvi’s level since she had launched a personal insult. Goswami questioned Naqvi’s ‘professional credentials’ by reminding that both he and ANI Editor Smita Prakash owned ‘media’ organisations.
Goswami was incensed after the hashtag #GoBackModi trended globally last week when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Tamil Nadu to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. This is not the first time Modi had faced growing opposition from the people of Tamil Nadu. Hashtag #GoBackModi has always become a global trend every time Modi visited Tamil Nadu, which has been rejecting the BJP in parliamentary and assembly elections until now.
