Arnab Goswami on Tuesday night launched a tirade against JNU students accusing them of stopping his team members from discharging their duties from the campus, particularly during the press conference called by protesting students of the prestigious university. However, several TV journalists have called out his lies.
Starting his prime time debate Goswami thundered, “Thank you my dear viewers for for the support you’ve given to the Republic Media Network, the Republic TV and the Republic Bharat against the unstoppable vandalism, the violence and abuse of some people in JNU, who call themselves students.”
Goswami continued, “They are not students. I say them tonight and I want you to support me. To them, I say the hashtag #RepublicWillReport.” Goswami alleged that students had used ‘force’ against the ‘Republic crew’ in a bid to stop them from covering their press conference on Tuesday. With his agreeable guests, Goswami found plenty of support in favour of his stunning allegations.
But was Goswami telling the truth? Going by the reaction of journalists including some who were present at the press conference, it seems that the Republic TV founder was once again being economical with the truth. If anything, Goswami’s representatives were accused of willfully disrupting the press conference organised by the JNU students. According to eyewitnesses, the JNU students made desperate attempts to disrupt the news conference by not allowing the students to address the media. One of the Republic TV representatives was heard shouting, “we’ve not come here to hear your lecture.”
Journalist Tanushree Pandey wrote on Twitter, “Completely false. What happened in #JNU during this PC was pre-planned, orchestrated disruption by Republic & loons from @SureshChavhanke’s gang. In the video, Im fighting with media colleagues, not with students. I’m a journalist & wont take injustice, even if done by my people.”
Completely false. What happened in #JNU during this PC was pre-planned, orchestrated disruption by Republic & loons from @SureshChavhanke‘s gang. In the video, Im fighting with media colleagues, not with students. I’m a journalist & wont take injustice, even if done by my people https://t.co/pPGQDGDNRy
— Tanushree Pandey (@TanushreePande) November 20, 2019
Journalist Vijaita Singh tweeted, “Cub reporter after witnessing obnoxious conduct by members(wont call them journalists) of a TV channel at press con by #JNU students: itna make up lagake jhagda karne aayi thi!”
Cub reporter after witnessing obnoxious conduct by members(wont call them journalists) of a TV channel at press con by #JNU students: itna make up lagake jhagda karne aayi thi!
— vijaita singh (@vijaita) November 19, 2019
Vijaita also wrote that one of the representatives from the TV channel in question was constantly getting instructions on phone to ask, ‘1000 ambulances were stuck because of the protest’ adding that the news channel even had a WhatsApp group called “JNU stories.”
Another journalist Marya Shakil wrote, “They got the attention they wanted. The joke is on the profession and the desire to become news rather than report one. A genuine student movement over fee hike and making education accessible is being discredited by them. #JNU.”
They got the attention they wanted. The joke is on the profession and the desire to become news rather than report one. A genuine student movement over fee hike and making education accessible is being discredited by them. #JNU https://t.co/duy6UWDxTD
— Marya Shakil (@maryashakil) November 19, 2019
It seems Republic TV representatives and members of other like-minded pro-Hindutva TV channels were hell-bent on causing disruption and never wanted JNU students to hold a smooth news conference.
