Firstpost
  • Home
  • Video Shows
    Vantage Firstpost America Firstpost Africa First Sports
  • World
    US News
  • Explainers
  • News
    India Opinion Cricket Tech Entertainment Sports Health Photostories
  • Asia Cup 2025
Apple Incorporated Modi ji Justin Trudeau Trending

Sections

  • Home
  • Live TV
  • Videos
  • Shows
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Health
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • Web Stories
  • Business
  • Impact Shorts

Shows

  • Vantage
  • Firstpost America
  • Firstpost Africa
  • First Sports
  • Fast and Factual
  • Between The Lines
  • Flashback
  • Live TV

Events

  • Raisina Dialogue
  • Independence Day
  • Champions Trophy
  • Delhi Elections 2025
  • Budget 2025
  • US Elections 2024
  • Firstpost Defence Summit
Trending:
  • PM Modi in Manipur
  • Charlie Kirk killer
  • Sushila Karki
  • IND vs PAK
  • India-US ties
  • New human organ
  • Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale Movie Review
fp-logo
How Twitter storms over Tejpal give fodder to Cong-BJP wars
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter
Apple Incorporated Modi ji Justin Trudeau Trending

Sections

  • Home
  • Live TV
  • Videos
  • Shows
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Health
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • Web Stories
  • Business
  • Impact Shorts

Shows

  • Vantage
  • Firstpost America
  • Firstpost Africa
  • First Sports
  • Fast and Factual
  • Between The Lines
  • Flashback
  • Live TV

Events

  • Raisina Dialogue
  • Independence Day
  • Champions Trophy
  • Delhi Elections 2025
  • Budget 2025
  • US Elections 2024
  • Firstpost Defence Summit
  • Home
  • Politics
  • How Twitter storms over Tejpal give fodder to Cong-BJP wars

How Twitter storms over Tejpal give fodder to Cong-BJP wars

FP Staff • November 21, 2013, 12:57:31 IST
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter

In a matter of minutes, Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal’s resignation on sexual assault charges became fodder for rightwing indignation and self-satisfaction.

Advertisement
Subscribe Join Us
Add as a preferred source on Google
Prefer
Firstpost
On
Google
How Twitter storms over Tejpal give fodder to Cong-BJP wars

All roads lead to a BJP-Congress catfight.  Or, at least, it seems that way on Twitter. In a matter of minutes, Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal’s resignation on sexual assault charges became fodder for rightwing indignation and self-satisfaction. “NOW.. NCW member Shamina says ‘Girl has to complain to us’ #Tehelka Morons! Did “snoopcase” woman complain to you?” tweeted MediaCrooks. “Dear *Victim* - Please go ahead Kick the bloody @Tehelka job. Sue the bottoms off #Tejpal and his Cronies of that Sin house called #Tehelka,” declared Suresh En, offering to contribute to her legal fees and ‘physical security.’ The liberal magazine and its prominent editor have long been unpopular in rightwing circles where it is seen, as Media Crooks puts it, as “a Congress doormat.” The jubilation over Tejpal’s fall was predictable, as was the pushback from the other side. [caption id=“attachment_1241749” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] ![AFP](https://images.firstpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Tarun-Tejpal_380_AFP_2.jpg) AFP[/caption] As former Caravan senior editor Jonathan Shainin tweeted, “I see far too many people trying pathetically to use fact of Tejpal’s ‘apology’ as a stick to beat Modi with. Shameful and self-defeating.” It is a sign of the times that sexual assault charges are seen as a ‘win’ in a bitter environment of political one upmanship. Almost every news event these days is quickly recast as ammunition in the Congress-BJP, Gandhi-Modi war. The firing of Open’s political editor, Hartosh Bal, earlier this month turned him into an unlikely hero in right-leaning circles. Centre-Right.in editor Prasanna Vishwanathan wrote at the time: The piece on Rahul Gandhi and Modi which Hartosh hinted might be the reason for his ouster is just one in a long line of similarly tuned essays. Perhaps, as election time nears, both politicians and media owners get jittery. And Sanjiv Goenka, the owner of Open magazine, getting nervous should not surprise anyone. His father, and the founder of the now-bifurcated group Rama Prasad Goenka was a Gandhi family loyalist who was rewarded not just with a Rajya Sabha seat, but was also a trustee of the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund, the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust and the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation.  That Bal’s last piece was no less harsh on Modi – as have been many of his op-eds in the past – seemed to matter little. The problem with this kind of instant politicisation of every event is that larger issues are obscured and reduced to scoring points. The troubling issue of owner interference in media outlets is not – and should not – be a left/right, Congress-BJP issue. Nor should harrasment and assault in the workplace. Sexual predators come in all ideological stripes and almost every political party has its share of tainted leaders. What is required now is a serious conversation about sexual harrasment, and the absence of enforcement or due process.  Dragging in rumour-mongering, and false equivalences about Modi and Rahul does a great disservice not just to the young woman, but also our society.

Tags
India Congress BJP Narendra Modi Rahul Gandhi Sexual harassment SocialMedia Tarun Tejpal Tehelka The Protection of Women against Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill Shoma Chaudhary
End of Article
Latest News
Find us on YouTube
Subscribe
End of Article

Top Stories

Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?

Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?

As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland

As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland

Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar

Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar

Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe

Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe

Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?

Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?

As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland

As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland

Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar

Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar

Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe

Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe

Top Shows

Vantage Firstpost America Firstpost Africa First Sports
Latest News About Firstpost
Most Searched Categories
  • Web Stories
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • IPL 2025
NETWORK18 SITES
  • News18
  • Money Control
  • CNBC TV18
  • Forbes India
  • Advertise with us
  • Sitemap
Firstpost Logo

is on YouTube

Subscribe Now

Copyright @ 2024. Firstpost - All Rights Reserved

About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Terms Of Use
Home Video Shorts Live TV