The INDIA alliance, a coalition of opposition parties in India, has recently unveiled a list of 14 television anchors with whom none of its constituent parties will engage. These anchors have been accused of hosting news discussions filled with hate and divisiveness. The alliance has declared its intention to abstain from participating in programs hosted by the following anchors: Aman Chopra, Amish Devgan, and Anand Narasimhan of News18; Chitra Tripathi and Sudhir Chaudhary of Aaj Tak; Gaurav Sawant and Shiv Aroor of India Today; Prachi Parashar of India TV; Arnab Goswami of Republic Bharat; Rubika Liyaquat of Bharat 24; Navika Kumar and Sushant Sinha of Times Now Navbharat; Aditi Tyagi of Bharat Express; and Ashok Shrivastav of DD News.
India Boycott News Anchors List
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swiftly responded to the INDIA alliance’s move. JP Nadda, the BJP’s chief, criticized the alliance, alleging that they are engaging in two activities: disparaging the ‘Sanatana’ culture and attempting to intimidate the media. In a statement on ‘X,’ Nadda asserted that this mindset, reminiscent of the Emergency era, still persists among these parties. He further contended that the Congress party has a history of intimidating the media and suppressing dissenting voices, citing numerous instances. On September 13, the INDIA alliance coordination committee instructed the media committee to compile a list of news anchors whose shows will not feature representatives from any of the alliance parties. Pawan Khera, the chairman of the Congress media department, expressed, “Each day, at 5 p.m., we witness the emergence of a marketplace of hatred on certain channels.
This has been an ongoing occurrence for the past nine years. Representatives from various political parties, experts, and analysts participate, but we all engage as consumers in this marketplace of hatred.” He continued, “We have no intention of legitimizing this narrative saturated with hatred, which is corroding our society. If the propagation of hatred results in violence, we will not be part of it.” Avinash Pandey, CEO of ABP Network and President of the News Broadcasters & Digital Association (NBDA), shared his perspective on the matter, stating, “This is reminiscent of an attempt to silence the media. Ironically, the alliance, which advocates for democratic values and freedom of speech, seems to be restricting it with this action. Nonetheless, we will persist in extending invitations to all for our shows.” The NBDA released a statement expressing profound distress and apprehension regarding the decision, asserting that it sets a concerning precedent.