Shekhar Gupta was forced to offer an apology on Twitter after a report on The Print falsely accused a man they had profiled as someone who ‘condemns Dalit upliftment’. The man in question is Professor Vashi Mant Sharma who filed a complaint with the administration of IIT-Kanpur after Faiz’s Islamic Supremacist poem was sung during anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests at the University.
In our profile of IIT Kanpur professor Vashi Mant Sharma, we erroneously described him also as someone who ‘condemns Dalit upliftment’. We regret the error and apologise to him.
The copy here has been updated to correct the mistake: https://t.co/mQexOsR052
— Shekhar Gupta (@ShekharGupta) January 4, 2020
The apology came after Vashi Mant Sharma released the audio clip of the conversation on social media platform. In a thread, he posted the entire conversation he had with the Uttar Pradesh correspondent of The Print. During the conversation, the professor can be heard clarifying his stand on the entire matter and elaborating on the reasons why he registered a complaint with the authorities on the matter.
Dear @ShekharGupta @Prashantps100 @unnati_sharma_ @ThePrintIndia
Here is thread of uncut version of my telephonic conversation w/ ur reporter. All, kindly listen what I said. And then compare it with what Shekhar’s genius has reported & promoted. Let’s begin @SanjeevSanskrit 1/n https://t.co/E6OkqCM8gp pic.twitter.com/aT1n8MY4xD
— Vashi Sharma (@VashiMant) January 4, 2020
Most significantly, Professor Sharma is also heard telling The Print correspondent that he is involved in activities to improve the social standing and welfare of the Dalit community in India. He tells the journalist that he is associated with a group that works for the welfare of Dalits. Despite that, The Print proceeded to malign his reputation and claim that he ‘condemns Dalit upliftment’.
Dear @ShekharGupta @Prashantps100 @unnati_sharma_ @ThePrintIndia
Here is 16th & last clip of uncut version of my telephonic conversation w/ ur reporter. All, kindly listen what I said. Apologies for repetitive clips, done by mistake. @SanjeevSanskrit pic.twitter.com/5hEBuvTNq8
— Vashi Sharma (@VashiMant) January 4, 2020
It is quite difficult to imagine any other reason than sheer malice for The Print’s slander of the Professor. The Print appears to have misrepresented Vashi Mant Sharma and slandered him merely because he holds political opinions that they don’t agree with personally. Shekhar Gupta may have apologised for it and corrected their mistake but the ‘mistake’ did not occur in any vacuum. It reflects a level of incompetence that can be adequately explained only by sheer bigotry on the part of The Print journalist.
In the past, The Print has furthered the ‘righteous Jihad’ narrative. One of their editors, Shivam Vij, invented fake quotes to justify their narrative on Kashmir and attributed it to a Kashmiri Pandit in order to give his personal opinions an air of legitimacy. When his lies were called out, he brazened it out instead of offering an unconditional apology on the matter.
