Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Jan 18: Several political leaders and personalities have launched scathing remarks against the form of journalism practiced by Arnab Goswami. In the recent WhatsApp chats that were leaked of the Republic TV editor-in-chief and the former chief executive of Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) Partho Dasgupta, the former sought to gain TRPs from tragedies such as that of the late finance minister Arun Jaitley.
Politicians and others have termed Arnab's means of gaining TRPs as 'vulture journalism'. The WhatsApp conversations, which have been leaked on social media, run into thousands of pages and are now a part of the supplementary charge sheet filed by the police.
The Republic TV chief came under fire earlier in October, when the Mumbai police launched a probe into the case of manipulation of TRPs. Over 13 people have been arrested in this connection, including Republic TV chief executive officer Vikas Khanchandani, who has since been released on bail. Partho Dasgupta was arrested on December 24, 2020 in the same matter. However, he was admitted to hospital in central Mumbai from the Taloja Central Prison in Navi Mumbai on Saturday after his blood sugar levels shot up, a prison official had said, adding that he was put on oxygen support.
Meanwhile, leaders in Congress have asked the government to conduct a JPC inquiry into the 'Chatgate', contending that there was evidence that he was privy to the Balakot air strikes that were 'planned' by the BJP regime purely with Lok Sabha elections in mind.
Several other political leaders have also tweeted about the incident questioning the leaking of sensitive information.
Senior party leader Shashi Tharoor tweeted, “The leaked @WhatsApp chats reveal 3 reprehensible things requiring serious inquiry: leaking of military secrets to a TV channel for its commercial purposes; a ‘nationalist’ gloating over the death of 40 jawans as an ‘attack we have won like crazy’,& fraudulent manipulation of TRPs.” “But if the Govt won’t conduct such an inquiry (& we all expect it won’t, given the evidence of its complicity in the betrayals revealed), who will? Is this one more thing we will have to take a PIL to the Supreme Court for?,” he added.
“The WhatsApp chats which have come out in the Mumbai police chargesheet in itself raises serious questions about national security. How financial frauds have taken place and in that how those people occupying high posts were involved… how conversations took place regarding buying of even judges… how journalists decided who will get what posts in the council of ministers… All this raises questions on compromise with national security… and the hollowness of those who are in power…” Congress communication department head Randeep Surjewala said at an AICC press conference.