Saurabh Dwivedi and Nupur Sharma (Image Source: Facebook and X)
On May 25, 2024, Saurabh Dwivedi, the prominent journalist from YouTube channel The Lallantop, released a video defending himself against accusations that he avoided fact-checking statements made by Nupur Sharma, the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) spokesperson, leading to her receiving death and rape threats over the past two years. Dwivedi’s response, however, has been criticised as a self-serving attempt to deflect blame.
The issue surfaced when renowned author and speaker Dr Anand Ranganathan, in a recent interview, criticised the selective fact-checking practices of prominent news outlets. His remarks, captured in a video that has since gone viral, have led to widespread scrutiny of The Lallantop, a platform that prides itself on its ethical standards. Critics have particularly targeted Saurabh Dwivedi, accusing him of avoiding references to Islamic religious texts due to fear of backlash.
In response to the outrage, Saurabh Dwivedi released a video on his channel, asserting that he has been falsely accused and maintains no biases in his reporting. He claimed that he had repeatedly reached out to Nupur Sharma for her perspective on the incident but received no response.
Organiser Weekly reached out to Nupur Sharma on May 27, who confirmed that The Lallantop or Saurabh never contacted her. She said, “Lallantop never contacted me officially.”
Moreover, Dwivedi in his video outlined three specific incidents to demonstrate his commitment to journalistic integrity and his efforts to engage with Sharma. He claimed to have reached out to Sharma on multiple occasions to offer her a platform to present her side, asserting that he should not be held accountable for failing to fact-check her statements.
Incident One: BJP Anniversary Press Conference
Dwivedi recounted that he approached Sharma during a BJP event shortly after a controversial debate on TimesNow, where Sharma responded to Tasleem Rehmani’s comments about the Shivling found at Gyanvapi. Dwivedi stated that he invited her to speak on The Lallantop at the BJP’s eight-year anniversary press conference on May 31, 2022. However, Nupur Sharma, in an interview with Organiser Weekly, clarified that while she met Dwivedi and other journalists at the event, she did not recall any specific invitation for an interview from him.
She pointed out that on that same day, she gave a soundbite to the media and participated in a one-hour interview with other media outlets, suggesting that she was open to media interactions. This raises doubts about Dwivedi’s claim that she refused to speak with The Lallantop.
Incident Two: Private Party Encounter
The second incident cited by Dwivedi involved a private party hosted by an IAS couple in April 2023, where he claimed to have asked Sharma again to appear on his show. Sharma, however, expressed surprise at Dwivedi’s presence at the party, which she attended due to her close ties with the hosts. She approached Dwivedi to discuss the challenges she faced following the backlash from her TimesNow appearance but did not recall any formal invitation for an interview from him.
Sharma’s account suggests that Dwivedi’s portrayal of the encounter is misleading, as a private party conversation does not equate to a professional invitation for a media appearance.
Incident Three: Post-Ranganathan Video Claim
Dwivedi’s third claim was that he reached out to Sharma after Dr Anand Ranganathan’s video questioning The Lallantop‘s handling of the Nupur Sharma controversy went viral. However, Sharma categorically denied this, stating that neither Dwivedi nor his team had contacted her following the video’s release.
Dr Ranganathan’s video, featured on RJ Raunac’s YouTube show, scrutinised Lallantop’s selective fact-checking practices. He pointed out that while The Lallantop readily featured Drishti IAS coaching founder Vikas Divyakirti after he faced backlash for comments on the Ramayana, they did not extend the same courtesy to Sharma, presumably due to fears of Islamist threats.
Responding to Dwivedi’s video, Dr Ranganathan criticised The Lallantop’s approach, tweeting, “Surreal. Instead of apologizing to Nupur, the cowards at @TheLallantop are claiming they didn’t fact-check her because she declined to come on their platform. Even Modi declines to come on their platform – does it stop them from fact-checking him?”
Dr. Ranganathan pointed out that Lallantop was capable of fact-checking Prime Minister Modi’s remarks concerning former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh without directly involving either individual in the process. However, he questioned why a similar approach wasn’t adopted when fact-checking Nupur Sharma’s comments regarding Islam
The controversy continues to unfold, with Dwivedi’s defence facing significant scepticism. The allegations and counterclaims highlight broader issues of media responsibility and the challenges journalists face in navigating politically charged environments. As the discourse develops, the veracity of Dwivedi’s claims and the implications for journalistic standards remain under close scrutiny.
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