“Entire India is slowly being turned into Kashmir”, Radio Mirchi goes the Tukde Tukde way in anti-CAA protests

It has barely been a week since the Citizenship Amendment Bill was passed in both houses and the liberal ecosystem has gone full throttle in unleashing propaganda against the legislation. What started as rumouring and fear mongering has now taken the shape of violent protests. Unfortunately, several elements have not only failed to condemn such violence, but also seem to have given subtle and tacit support to such violent activities.

Even as students clashed with the Delhi Police personnel on Sunday, Radio Mirchi employee, RJ Sayema said, “People gather in large numbers at Delhi Police headquarters, Jai Singh Marg near Patel Chest Metro Station at 9 am, December 15 to protest against the ongoing violence by Delhi Police against Jamia students.” She went on to add, “Entire India is slowly being turned into Kashmir, and we were silent about it.”

Jamia Milia Islamia University has been witnessing violent, anti-CAB protests with a patently religious angle attached to them. Allahu Akbar chants echoed at the University. Objectionable and hateful slogans of “Hinduon se Azadi” were also allegedly changed by the University students showing the kind of communal narrative that is being pushed in the name of academic freedom. Violence also spread to the streets of Delhi yesterday and violent protesters went on a rampage even as 1,000 protesters clashed with the police setting at least six buses and over 50 vehicles on fire in Mathura Road, New Friends Colony, Jamia Nagar and Sarai Julena. Even cops have not been spared and stones are said to have been pelted at them during the Jamia protests. Earlier, there were reports of 12 cops getting injured and two of them getting admitted to the ICU of a Delhi hospital after University students turned hooligans and attacked the policemen.

Rumours and panic are being spread in the name name of Freedom of Speech and Expression. This has led to the deterioration of law and order situation at a nation-wide level with hooligans openly resorting to arson and vandalism. At a time, when such hooliganism and vandalism has taken grip over the entire country, actions like gheraoing the Delhi Police headquarters only create more friction, especially in the present circumstances when the law and order situation has been continuously deteriorating. At such circumstances, it is utterly ridiculous and objectionable how a Radio Mirchi employee has exhorted people to gherao the Delhi Police Headquarters.

Twitter users have also expressed dismay at how RJ Sameya has provoked people to take part in gheraoing the Delhi Police headquarters in a totally irresponsible manner. One of the Twitter users came down heavily on Radio Mirchi over this provocative remark. He tweeted, “Hey@RadioMirchi, please clarify if this is your official stand. If not, immediately sack this Bigot organising mob for violence. Don’t burn Delhi for money from AAP #AapBurningDelhi.”

Another Twitter user said, “So @MirchiSayema is organizing a protest against Delhi Police in support of rabid Islamist Jihadi violent #Jamia students who burnt buses, beat up cops, raised hateful slogans & pelted stones. It seems she also supports Kashmiri militants. Fire her or we’ll #boycottradiomirchi.”

Radio Mirchi is facing an unprecedented backlash over RJ Sameya’s remarks. However, Radio Mirchi has drawn fire over such irresponsible and objectionable remarks in the past as well. In 2017, Radio Mirchi had ran #MatAaoIndia campaign ostensibly for drawing the attention of safety of tourists visiting India. However, the very tagline of the campaign was detrimental to India’s image and its torism industry. Ultimately, the Union Information & Broadcasting Ministry had take action and serve a show cause notice to Radio Mirchi, after which the latter had not only ended its anti-India campaign, but also apologised for it.

Apart from the above incidents, Radio Mirchi has also come severe criticism for employing Devdutt Patnaik, who has made a substantial audience for himself among children and adolescents because adults simply refuse to oblige to his nonsensical theories about Indian history and culture. Pattanaik, clearly a leftist, more so a socialist, tries to fit all Indian historical events and cultural practices along the lines of the Left worldview. His interpretations of the Ramayana, Mahabharata, among others have found no buyers among those who have genuine knowledge of the Indian culture. It is therefore deeply disappointing to note that media platforms such as Radio Mirchi are providing a pedestal to Devdutt to preach from.

Radio Mirchi must come out with a clarification about RJ Sameya’s provocative remark giving tacit support to the violent elements have run riot in Delhi and how it is going to deal with the employee who is facing criticism for her remarks. FM Stations are meant to broadcast content for entertainment/ awareness purposes and not to support such violent elements. Radio Mirchi should therefore display ethics in its functioning and the conduct of its employees.