New Delhi: In a show of unity, the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A) bloc of opposition parties has taken a significant decision to boycott four television news channels and 14 television news anchors. This collective move has been prompted by growing concerns over the perceived divisive and communal nature of certain debate shows, which the opposition believes are diverting attention from the nation’s genuine concerns. The channels that will be boycotted include Times Now, Republic Bharat, Sudarshan News, and Doordarshan.
The Congress Party, a prominent member of the INDIA bloc, officially unveiled the list of television anchors subject to the boycott during the coalition’s meeting. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), another key member, also shared the list of anchors involved in the boycott. Pawan Khera, representing the Congress Party, presented the list of anchors, saying, “This decision has been taken by the INDIA Media Committee on September 14, 2023, following the decision made by the INDIA Coordination Committee during its meeting on September 13, 2023. Consequently, the INDIA parties will abstain from participating in shows and events featuring the following anchors.”
The following decision was taken by the INDIA media committee in a virtual meeting held this afternoon. #JudegaBharatJeetegaIndia #जुड़ेगा_भारत_जीतेगा_इण्डिया pic.twitter.com/561bteyyti
— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 ಪವನ್ ಖೇರಾ (@Pawankhera) September 14, 2023
रोज़ शाम पाँच बजे से कुछ चैनल्स पर नफ़रत की दुकानें सजायी जाती हैं।
हम नफ़रत के बाज़ार के ग्राहक नहीं बनेंगे। हमारा उद्देश्य है ‘नफ़रत मुक्त भारत’।
बड़े भारी मन से यह निर्णय लिया गया कि कुछ एंकर्स के शोज़ व इवेंट्स में हम भागीदार नहीं बनें। हमारे नेताओं के ख़िलाफ़ अनर्गल… pic.twitter.com/2xhxh2Hm9h— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 ಪವನ್ ಖೇರಾ (@Pawankhera) September 14, 2023
The television news anchors boycotted by the INDIA alliance include:
- Aditi Tyagi
- Aman Chopra
- Amish Devgan
- Anand Narasimhan
- Arnab Goswami
- Ashok Shrivastav
- Chitra Tripathi
- Gaurav Sawant
- Navika Kumar
- Prachi Parashar
- Rubika Liaquat
- Shiv Aroor
- Sudhir Chaudhary
- Sushant Sinha
Post the announcement of the boycott, prominent television anchor Sushant Sinha posted a hilaious tweet mocking the decision of the I.N.D.I Alliance.
लड़की लड़के से मिली तक नहीं, चैट नहीं करती, कोई रिश्ता नहीं लेकिन लड़के ने एकतरफ़ा ब्रेकअप का ऐलान करते हुए कह दिया है कि मैं अब उससे कभी नहीं मिलूंगा।😅😅
अरे भई, मैं तो डिबेट करता भी नहीं, किसी को गेस्ट बुलाता भी नहीं तो मेरे शो में आने से किसे रोक रहे हो भाई? 😅😅
खैर, देशहित… pic.twitter.com/brhS3EYf0j— Sushant Sinha (@SushantBSinha) September 14, 2023
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief JP Nadda accused the Opposition bloc- I.N.D.I.Alliance for “bullying the media”
BJP Chief JP Nadda responded to the boycott by accusing the I.N.D.I.Alliance of “bullying the media” and “threatening individual journalists.” In a statement posted on social media, Nadda also criticized the Congress Party, alleging a history of “silencing” those with differing views.
Nadda stated, “The history of Congress has many instances of bullying the media and silencing those with differing views. Pandit Nehru curtailed free speech and arrested those who criticized him. Indira Ji remains the Gold Medal winner of how to do it—called for a committed judiciary, committed bureaucracy, and imposed the horrific Emergency.”
These days, the I. N. D. I Alliance is ONLY doing 2 things:
BASHING SANATANA SANSKRITI – each party is competing to outdo the other in hurling the choicest abuses towards Sanatana Sanskriti.
BULLYING THE MEDIA- filing FIRs, threatening individual journalists, making “lists” in…
— Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) September 14, 2023
The history of Congress has many instances of bullying the media and silencing those with differing views.
Pandit Nehru curtailed free speech and arrested those who criticised him.
Indira Ji remains the Gold Medal winner of how to do it- called for committed judiciary,…
— Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) September 14, 2023
I. N. D. I Alliance should stop their antics immediately. They should instead focus on constructive work and serving people. Else, the path to obscurity will get even clearer.
— Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) September 14, 2023
The INDIA opposition bloc’s decision to boycott specific news channels and anchors highlights the ongoing debate surrounding media ethics and journalistic responsibility in India. It remains to be seen how this move will impact the landscape of television news and political discourse in the country.
