As Rajdeep Sardesai hit the nadir of his journalistic career after spreading blatant fake news at such a delicate time, one can be forgiven to think that Sardesai’s plight would find no takers. However, to defend one of the top journalists from their cabal, the left-liberals rose in unison to defend Sardesai with the Editors Guild of India leading the way.
The times are tough for Rajdeep Sardesai as facing multiple FIRs and allegedly taken off-air by India Today and facing a one-month salary cut over his tweet insinuating that a farmer was shot dead by the Delhi Police, Sardesai can find solace from the fact that his fellow members of the left-liberal cabal haven’t abandoned him.
The Editors Guild of India emerged first off the block as it demanded the removal of the FIRs against Rajdeep and other journalists in its statement.
“It must be noted that on the day of the protest and high action, several reports were emerging from eyewitnesses on the ground as well as from the police, and therefore it was only natural for journalists to report all the details as they emerged. This is in line with established norms of journalistic practice,” read the EGI statement.
Forgetting that it is supposed to be a neutral organisation, EGI’s statement claimed, “On a day thick with information, the EGI finds these FIRs, filed in different states, as an attempt to intimidate, harass, browbeat, and stifle the media. That the FIRs have been booked under as many as ten different provisions including sedition laws, promoting communal disharmony, and insulting religious beliefs, is further disturbing.” The grouping also demanded the immediate withdrawal of the FIRs.
Meanwhile, Newslaundry wondered why Rajdeep’s former colleagues – Rahul Kanwal, Anjana Om Kashyap, Gaurav Sawant and Rohit Sardana still on-air despite their alleged instances of spreading fake news in the past. The propaganda outlet then celebrated the fact that Sardesai “offered some sort of a clarification.”
Siddharth Varadarajan, who in the past has spread fake news, was also not be left far behind as he tweeted, “Outrageous! A Sedition case against @ShashiTharoor, @sardesairajdeep, @MrinalPande1, @zafaragha70, @vinodjose, @anantnath and Others has been filed by UP police. Why? For tweets that reported the claim of farmers that one of their folks had been shot!”
Outrageous! A Sedition case against @ShashiTharoor, @sardesairajdeep, @MrinalPande1, @zafaragha70, @vinodjose, @anantnath and Others has been filed by UP police. Why? For tweets that reported the claim of farmers that one of their folks had been shot! https://t.co/PuoL92VY4w
— Siddharth (@svaradarajan) January 29, 2021
Not just the media fraternity, even the politicians lined up to support Rajdeep Sardesai in his hour of need.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee who recently gave an interview to Rajdeep, tweeted, “I am shocked at what is happening to senior journalist @sardesairajdeep. It is also surprising how most in the media are silent on this issue. In our democratic system we must raise our voice. The media is an important pillar of our democracy.”
I am shocked at what is happening to senior journalist @sardesairajdeep
It is also surprising how most in the media are silent on this issue. In our democratic system we must raise our voice. The media is an important pillar of our democracy— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) January 29, 2021
Karti Chidambaram seemed to have lost it if his tweet was any indication.
@IndiaToday! *#***&
— Karti P Chidambaram (@KartiPC) January 28, 2021
The last few days have been extremely difficult for the left-liberals as their carefully planned fake farmers protests had been exposed which was followed by punitive action against Sardesai and the cabal who aided and abetted in the spreading of fake news. In other news, a section of the cabal are now going wax lyrical over Rakesh Tikait’s tears as they attempt to proclaim him as the challenger to PM Modi.
There is fake news and there is fake news. What Sardesai and others who are charged did, in this case, could have made the situation much worse and dangerous for all concerned. Judging from these accused’s strong anti-Modi government feelings, it is quite possible that their actual intention was exactly that, inflame the situation.
These are anti modi protests not farmers…. they hate modi ….. and ofcourse PRESSTITUTE MEDIA who are on pay cheque of Congress will obviously run agenda of left .
Journalism is dead ……. only propaganda exists .