Times Now has issued a clarification and deleted the video of its TV debate show by Navika Kumar where a BJP spokesperson had allegedly made derogatory comments and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Angry Muslims had taken to Twitter to demand BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma’s arrest as hashtag #ArrestNupurSharma trended.
Reacting to public outrage, Times Now tweeted, “Views expressed by BJP Spokesperson on Newshour@9 last night are her personal views. TIMES NOW does not endorse views of participants. We urge participants on our debates to maintain restraint and not indulge in unparliamentary language against fellow panelists.”
However, many had slammed Navika for not making a timely intervention when Sharma was making objectionable comments about Islam and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Navika too had not deemed it fit to make her stand clear even after the broadcast of the show. The controversial TV anchor, who was accused of promoting Islamophobia, had later taken to Twitter to support Sharma after the BJP spokesperson alleged threats to her life.
As expected, Navika and her employer, Vineet Jain, faced condemnation for their questionable conduct.
I saw the full clip of Nupur Sharma on times now and now I’m convinced that that Nupur needs to apologise for the nonsense she has said and Navika needs to apologise for enabling that nonsense.
— Bilal Jaleel (@bilaljaleel_) May 27, 2022
Listen @TimesNow, don’t try to sneak out of this. We watch Newshour & see your anchors encourage hate speech. Your panelists are responsible for their words but what’s the job of the anchor? Navika Kumar smirks when speaking to Muslim panelists & openly uses Us vs Them language. https://t.co/HW3eayjqFb
— Farzana Versey (@farzana_versey) May 28, 2022
Prime Time debates in India have become a platform and medium to encourage hate Islamophobia and to insult Muslims. TIMES NOW Anchor Navika Kumar is encouraging a maniacal communal hatemonger & a BJP Spokesperson Nupur Sharma . #ArrestNupurSharma pic.twitter.com/pLlEIPmLrM
— Noor Mahvish (@TheNoorMahvish) May 27, 2022
Meanwhile, Times Now is believed to have deleted the video of its controversial broadcast from the YouTube channel.
A video of Sharma mocking Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) during a TV show had gone viral. In the viral video, Sharma was seen addressing a Muslim panellist as she said, “Shall I start making fun of what’s it written in your Quran?”
