“Shame on IIT Bombay”: Netizens fury on choice of Republic TV founder Arnab Goswami, Sudhir Chaudhary of Zee News as guests; Swara Bhasker’s vomiting emoji

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IIT Bombay is facing netizens’ fury after it decided to invite Arnab Goswami of Republic TV and Sudhir Chaudhary of Zee News as its guests in its forthcoming event. IIT Bombay’s decision to invite two controversial TV anchors known for their hate speeches has left Indian civil society aghast.

This was the IIT Bombay took to social media to announce how Sudhir Chaudhary would be the first speaker at its media conclave, scheduled to be held in the first week of February. “Presenting the first speaker in Media Conclave, Mr. Sudhir Chaudhary. @sudhirchaudhary is the Editor-in-Chief and CEO of Zee News and hosts the world’s most-watched prime-time news show- DNA on Zee News,” the tweet by the IIT-B read.

As for Arnab Goswami, the IIT Bombay tweeted, “Next in Media & Entertainment Conclave at E-Summit 22, we have Mr. Arnab Goswami, Editor-in-chief of the Republic Media Network. Mr. Goswami is India’s leading TV anchor, who in 4 years has turned a startup into India’s leading news entity.”

The choice of a guest as controversial as Chaudhary left many perplexed. Zee News anchor had to spend several days in Tihar jail after he was caught trying to extort Rs. 100 crore from an Indian industrialist in a viral video. In recent years, he’s earned notoriety for spreading Islamophobia from his TV shows.

Chaudhary was called ‘terrorist’ by UAE princess Hend bint Faisal Al Qasim launched a tirade against an Abu Dhabi-based Indian organisation to invite Zee News anchor as its distinguished guest. Chaudhary had later taken to social media to issue an extraordinary statement saying that he was not an Islamophobe.

Also Read: “How dare you invite an Islamophobe to my peaceful country”: UAE princess lashes out at organiser for inviting Sudhir Chaudhary to her country, calls Zee News anchor ‘terrorist’

As expected, angry netizens condemned IIT Bombay’s decision to add legitimacy to hate speech and Islamophobia pushed by the likes of Goswami and Chaudhary.

One wrote, “Going by this trend, @iitbombay will invite Suresh Chavhanke, Yati Narsinghanand and Shambulal Regar for next year’s event. And we will continue to act surprised when the next Ram Nagesh Akubathini comes out of this college.”

Another commented, “Shame on IIT Bombay. Two of the worst humans are gracing a platform of educated.” “IIT-BOMBAY e-cell is organizing a summit and it’s chief guest are tihadi chaudhary and druggie goswami, what’s their contribution in field of Journalism, they only spew hate and hate in society,” wrote anitehr user.

Also reacting with vomiting emojis was actor Swara Bhasker.

Both Chaudhary and Goswami had resorted to promoting Islamophobia during the first wave of the pandemic by falsely blaming Tablighi Jamaat members for the spread of the virus. Goswami, who had to face several police complaints, was once grilled by the Mumbai Police for 12 hours in a hate speech case.

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