It’s raining Rahul Gandhi interviews as pliant media rushes to propagate his lies. First, ‘chota mota blast’ Sreenivasan Jain conducted an interview with Rahul Gandhi, then, India Today published an interview where Rahul admitted that his one aim was to destroy Narendra Modi’s ‘incorruptible image’ and the interviewer himself lied profusely, and now, TV Bharatvarsh seems to have an interview with Rahul Gandhi.
On press freedom day, one would imagine that Rahul Gandhi just handing out interviews was perhaps a massive step forward for media freedom, especially, with all platforms tout the interview as ‘explosive’ and ‘tell-all’. The reality, however, is far from it.
First, we found out that India Today, in all probability, trashed a video interview with Rahul Gandhi and published a text interview. As rumour had it, it was done because the interview itself was so bad that it could not be telecast. Why a media house would allegedly shield a bad politician, is, of course, a matter of debate especially on press freedom day. India Today tweeted a clarification too, that certainly left a lot to be desired and hardly cleared the air.
Now, as if the India Today interview fiasco wasn’t bad enough, another pliant journalist has got the “once in a lifetime” opportunity to interview Rahul Gandhi.
An embarrassing portion of the interview with TV Bharatvarsh was posted by a Twitter user.
Another example of fair journalism
cc: @vinodkapri ?? pic.twitter.com/AOhwYVdMRU— Chowkidar BALA (@erbmjha) May 3, 2019
In the portion that went viral, “journalist” Supriya Bhardwaj was seen interviewing Rahul Gandhi. In the clip, Rahul Gandhi, with a sheepish smile tells the “journalist” Supriya Bhardwaj that in Parliament House, Bhardwaj had told Rahul Gandhi that “ye Rafale mudda khoon main ghus gaya hai” (The Rafale issue has entered the blood of the people).
Then, Rahul Gandhi asks the cameraman to pan the camera on Supriya Bhardawaj to show her smiling. The camera obediently pans on Bhardwaj where she was seen smiling with her head cocked downwards. The shy smile indeed spoke a thousand words.
Then, Rahul Gandhi asks her again whether these were her words and she says yes. Then Rahul Gandhi repeats her words. He says that Bhardwaj had told him that this Rafale issue had entered the blood of the people and no matter how hard BJP tries, it won’t be able to wash it away.
The Rafale saga is one that Rahul Gandhi has hopelessly and desperately latched on to.
Rahul Gandhi once lied blatantly on the floor of the house, claiming that the French President had spoken to Rahul Gandhi personally and told him that there was corruption in the Rafale deal. Later, in a massive embarrassment, the French government had to issue a statement, essentially saying that Rahul Gandhi lied and no such meeting ever took place.
In his desperation to prove that Rafale deal was a scam, Rahul Gandhi even pretended to visit ailing Manohar Parrikar as a courtesy visit. That “courtesy visit” was later turned into a ploy to attack the Rafale deal. Rahul Gandhi used a visit made to an ailing Chief Minister to claim that Manohar Parrikar had himself told Rahul Gandhi that he had some files on the Rafale deal and that there was a scam in the deal. Parrikar, suffering from cancer, had to come out and issue a statement calling out Rahul Gandhi’s lies. In fact, even after Manohar Parrikar lost the battle to cancer, even in death, Rahul Gandhi lied in Manohar Parrikar’s name.
The changing numbers of the “scam” amount, the fact that his allegation of the amount “Modi gave to Ambani” is greater than the entire offset amount, the shoddy audio tape that was thrown out by the parliament, the fact that the Supreme Court itself gave a clean chit to the deal and the fact that he admitted that the Supreme Court had made no observation of ‘chowkidar chor hai’ as he had alleged are all facts that have been put forth a number of times. Rahul Gandhi was forced to apologise.
And yet, “journalists” of courage apparently go up to Rahul Gandhi and tell them how the Rafale issue has “entered the blood of the people” instead of questioning him on the blatant lies and frivolities.
This “journalist” of courage had earlier displayed how fiercely independent and committed to the truth she really is.
She had, on March 31st, Bhardwaj had tweeted friendly pictures of her with Congress leaders and tweeted, “ek nayi shuruat, apnon ke saath” (A new beginning with people my own).
एक नई सफ़र शुरुआत अपनों के साथ !!! @sampitroda , @vyashimanshu , @ShivBhattia pic.twitter.com/9FxQwPMB6q
— Supriya Bhardwaj (@Supriya23bh) March 31, 2019
The independent journalist sure has family-like ties with the Congress leaders, in her words. The Congress leaders who can be seen in the photographs with Bhardwaj are Sam Pitroda, Himanshu Vyas (AICC secretary of overseas Congress) and some Shiv Bhattia.
Her Twitter timeline is full of fawning tweets about the Gandhis. Just like family.
The Gandhi Siblings – @RahulGandhi and @priyankagandhi !!! pic.twitter.com/nDLBLuZIOX
— Supriya Bhardwaj (@Supriya23bh) April 27, 2019
She has a really happy picture with Sonia Gandhi too. In fact, she tweeted it with several exclamation marks (and a smiley). And we just can’t stop awwww-ing at the mother-daughter sort of closeness this independent journalist shares with the mother-Gandhi.
With Mrs Sonia Gandhi !!! ? pic.twitter.com/poAIfZ8ZOp
— Supriya Bhardwaj (@Supriya23bh) February 13, 2019
The love and affection that is showered by Bhardwaj on the Gandhi family and is reciprocated by the Gandhi family on Supriya is truly heartwarming.
One must also remember that TV Bharatvarsh’s group editor is Vinod Kapri. Kapri was recently talking about “journalist of courage” and was browbeating Times Now for questioning the Congress party.
Journalism part 1 https://t.co/2lt9DK0vVz
— Vinod Kapri (@vinodkapri) May 2, 2019
Vinod Kapri had spread fake news about Bulandshehr and even attacked the police after he was called out for his fake news. In his Modi hate, he had even attributed the shutting down of Jet Airways to Modi and questioned his ‘vikas agenda’. Then, in his love for Congress and Nehru, he shared an unrelated picture to show how Nehru took a dip in Ganga during Kumbh 1954, the same Kumbh that saw a stampede that left 1000 dead and one where Congress burnt the victims’ dead bodies to hide the evidence.
This “encouraging” saga of press independence coming on Press Freedom Day does warm the cockles of one’s heart.
The only advice that we can perhaps give these “fiercely independent journalists” was best articulated by Bhardwaj herself in one of her tweets.
“… Father Forgive Them, For They Know Not What They Do… !!!” ~ #JesusChrist … #GoodFriday pic.twitter.com/YUfMD3asSa
— Supriya Bhardwaj (@Supriya23bh) April 19, 2019
Literally.
