Arnab Goswami, who founded Republic TV with the help of BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar, was ‘rewarded’ with a membership at Nehru Memorial Museum & Library, last week. In an order by the ministry of culture on 29 October, it was said that Goswami had replaced political scientist Pratap Bhanu Mehta, who resigned from the Executive Council in 2016 allegedly over the shortlisting of Shakti Sinha, who had served as private secretary to former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
The order further stated that Goswami’s appointment had been approved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Arnab Goswami’s appointment came two years after the government stunned everyone by appointing another pro-BJP journalist Swapan Das Gupta, who was later elected to the Rajya Sabha as an MP.
Along with Arnab Goswami, foreign secretary S Jaishanker, BJP MP and president of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, and chairman of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts Ram Bahadur Rai too have been included in the NMML society to replace the sacked members.
Goswami’s appointment did not go down well with many including the supporters of the government, who sought to highlight that Republic TV’s co-founder was intellectually no match to Mehta. But, the notable criticism for Goswami came from some of his own former colleagues, who worked with him during his time as Times Now’s editor-in-chief.
In a series of tweets, Nikunj Garg, who covers internal security for Times Now, wrote, “Arnab Goswami Who Made A Killing By Abusing & Describing hundreds Of Diligent & Honest Journalists Working In Lutyens Delhi As “Lutyens Media” has been NOMINATED by THE GOVT to Nehru Memorial’s Trust Board the highest body governing the institution.
“In 13 yrs of covering @HMOIndia I’ve NOT interacted with A SINGLE journalist who lives in Lutyens Delhi!..We all do our honest day’s job there because of our professional requirements.”
In 13 Yrs Of Covering @HMOIndia I’ve NOT Interacted With A SINGLE Journalist Who Lives In Lutyens Delhi!..We All Do Our Honest Day’s Job There Because Of Our Professional Requirements…MOST of Us Wud NOT Set Our Foot There If Our Professional Requirements Do Not Entail It..2/.
— Nikunj Garg (@NikunjGargN) November 3, 2018
He was joined by another former colleague of Goswami from Times Now, Bhavatosh Singh, who wrote sarcastically, “My greatest “achievement” was to find fault in Lutyens media and then I quietly become member of Nehru Memorial Museum & Library society. So typical of “independent” media.”
My greatest “achievement” was to find fault in Lutyens media and then I quietly become member of Nehru Memorial Museum & Library society. So typical of “independent” media. https://t.co/rGdsbzyzFr
— bhavatosh singh (@bhavatoshsingh) November 3, 2018
This was in response to Goswami’s article that he wrote attacking what he called were Lutyen journalists. Headlined ‘My greatest disappointment is the insensitivity of Lutyens media,’ Goswami had slammed journalists, working in Delhi for cosying up to the powers in the national capital.
Shockingly, Republic TV appears to have deleted the article written by Goswami. It’s not clear whether Goswami’s article has made the disappearing act in the wake of his reward for loyalty by the Modi government or it was taken down earlier.
The link to Goswami’s article critical of Lutyens media, was tweeted by Republic TV on 2 August 2017. Clicking on the article now takes visitors to a page with a message ‘page not found.’
Who would have thought that the jibe of Lutyens journalist will come to haunt Goswami so much that his own channel maybe prompted to delete an article written by its editor-in-chief to hide his embarrassment.