Barkha Dutt slams Arnab Goswami, says 'ashamed to be from same industry as him'

Barkha Dutt on Wednesday took to social media to slam Times Now editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami for his brand of journalism. The outrage was triggered apparently because Arnab in his prime time Newshour Debate on 26 July, which also happened to be Kargil Diwas, had called other Indian news channels sympathisers of terrorists and “pro-Pakistan”. Not relenting at that he even sought stringent punishment for those “pro-Pakistan” media houses. See the full show here:

Reacting to this on air ferocity from the Times Now edit wing boss, Barkha Dutt, in a strongly-worded Facebook post, said, “I am ashamed to be from same industry as him.” Read the full post here:

Taking strong exception to the #ProPakistanDoves term used by Arnab for journalists, Barkha questioned his silence on Jammu and Kashmir alliance agreement that commits the BJP and PDP to talks with Pakistan and Hurriyat. She also called Arnab out on his silence on Narendra Modi’s “outreach” programme to Pakistan. Barkha also expressed “disgust” over media being silent on Arnab’s allegations:

“Imagine, a journalist actually exhorts the government to shut down sections of the media, misrepresents them as isi agents and terror sympathisers, calls for them to be tried and acted against. And our fraternity remains locked into politically correct and timid silence.”

Slamming Arnab for his hypocrisy, Barkha dubs him a chamcha and says:

What’s striking is his brazen and cowardly hypocrisy. So he drones on and on about Pro Pakistan Doves without one word on the JK alliance agreement that commits the BJP and PDP to talks with Pakistan and Hurriyat and is silent on Modi’s own Pakistan outreach- neither of which I object to- but since Arnab Goswami measures patriotism by such views why is he so silent on the government? Chamchagiri?

Arnab Goswami was caught in a controversy in May, after he called Tehelka journalist, Asad Ashraf, a cover for Indian Mujajideen. Ashraf was a guest speaker in Arnab’s Newshour, which was discussing the Batla encounter.

Ashraf wrote his side of the story for Firstpost and he said: The takeaway from the events of that day not only jolt me, but also present a very grim picture of the time in which we are living. Journalism, once a respected profession has become a tool of hoop-la into the hands of certain promoters who use it as a mechanism to build public opinion and manufacture consent.