Republic TV founder Arnab Goswami has often faced criticism for his hypocrisy while facing allegations of pushing the BJP agenda from his TV channel. On Monday night, he took irony to new heights when he demanded Twitter to leave India by launching a hashtag for the same on Twitter! While demanding the microblogging site’s ouster from India, Goswami also flaunted how his #TwitetrQuitIndia was a top trend on Twitter as the Republic TV screen kept flashing the number of tweets the channel’s hashtag was generating on the social media platform.
Goswami was debating the Indian army’s denial of activist Shehla Rashid’s allegations of atrocities by men in uniform in Kashmir during the recent clampdown. The Republic TV founder demanded that Shehla Rashid be blocked from Twitter or the microblogging site quit India.
[ Also Read: “It’s a living hell in Kashmir” EXCLUSIVE report by Rifat Jawaid from Srinagar]
He said, “This country matters to Indias more than their blue ticks. Twitter is allowing Shehla Rashid to spread lies aimed at creating bloodshed, internal strife and conflict within our country. Twitter is answerable to me. Unverified lies, fake news spread by all these elements…Indians will live without Twitter or we will have our own social media platform. Like in China it has its own social media platforms. We don’t need an American social media platform.”
When Republic TV tweeted promoting its hashtag #TwitetrQuitIndia, users couldn’t stop reacting to the glaring irony of Republic TV’s editorial agenda.
Why don’t you first quit twitter? https://t.co/eY5Cy0ZSy9
— Man Aman Singh Chhina (@manaman_chhina) August 19, 2019
Please delete your account first.
— Tejas Harad (@h_tejas) August 20, 2019
Dear @TwitterIndia Arnab Goswami and @republic is spreading hate against you. Time to suspend their handles?
— Madhumita Mazumdar (@mmazumdar2014) August 19, 2019
Ok.. please quit.. no one is going to miss you.. @republic chalo nikalo..?
— vikram (@vikrami31) August 19, 2019
What an irony!!!#TwitterQuitIndia is trending on Twitter XD pic.twitter.com/oOl5bwjfiP
— sharmeen zariwala (@sharmeennnn1) August 19, 2019
Now this is funny!?#TwitterQuitIndia pic.twitter.com/xGmcpMFduQ
— abhishekb (@abhishekb22) August 20, 2019
Bhakts are protesting.#TwitterQuitIndia in this way?
There is no difference between BJP supporter and tuchiya. pic.twitter.com/2Km2nbROLM— Azher shareef (@azhershareef33) August 19, 2019
Fake news peddler trending#TwitterQuitIndia pic.twitter.com/h3qgfchYdB
— Ra*0ne (@Ra0ne2) August 19, 2019
Shehla Rashid has defended the tweets that she posted based on her conversations with local people. She wrote, “My reaction to the controversy: All of my tweets are based on conversations with people. My thread highlights the positive work of the administration too. Let the Army conduct a fair and impartial probe and I’m willing to share the details of the incidents mentioned with them.”