Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan, Shraddha Kapoor, and Rakul Preet Singh were issued a summons by Narcotics Control (NCB) on Wednesday in a Bollywood-drug nexus case. Several journalists and Congress loyalists started peddling conspiracy theories after the summon issued by the Narcotics Control (NCB) to Deepika Padukone on September 25. They alleged that the actress was being made a scapegoat to distract the nation’s attention from a larger issue- the nationwide farmers’ protest planned by the Congress party on the same day.
India Today journalists, headed by none other than the master of quackery- Rajdeep Sardesai alleged that the government was using Deepika Padukone as a distraction from major issues like the Farmers Bill. Rajdeep Sardesai took to Twitter to hint that Deepika Padukone’s summons by the Narcotics Bureau on September 25 was somehow connected to the farmer’s protest.
So @deepikapadukone summoned on September 25 by @narcoticsbureau . Farmers all India protest on Sept 25. Samajh mein aaya?🙏
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) September 23, 2020
Following Rajdeep Sardesai’s footstep, many India Today journalists started peddling similar rhetoric on Twitter.
Sep 25: Nationwide farmers protest
— Indrajit Kundu | ইন্দ্রজিৎ – কলকাতা (@iindrojit) September 23, 2020
Sep 25: Deepika to be questioned by NCB
Mark the date, note the Distraction z
Heard in the newsroom –
— Preeti Choudhry (@PreetiChoudhry) September 23, 2020
Anchor – When is Deepika going to be questioned by the NCB?
anchor 2 -isn’t the farmer protest on the 25th ?
Desk incharge – oh, yeah ..the 25th then I guess.
Newsbreaks soon after : deepika to be questioned on 25th sept 🙂 @Ankit_Tyagi01 @tarini28
👉Rakul Preet & Simone Khambatta to be questioned tomorrow (24/Sep)
— Ankit Tyagi (@Ankit_Tyagi01) September 23, 2020
👉Deepika Padukone on 25 September (Farmer Agitation also on this day)
👉Sara Ali Khan & Shradha Kapoor to be question on 26 September by the NCB.. https://t.co/kMYzpmeGJ8
Some other ‘journalists’ followed suit. Saba Naqvi said: “Since Deepika Padukone is being summoned by NCB on September 25, I really think the all India farmers protest, scheduled on the same day should be rescheduled. We know what visual media will do. Block out stories of millions.”
Since Deepika Padukone is being summoned by NCB on September 25, I really think the all India farmers protest, scheduled on same day should be rescheduled. We know what visual media will do. Block out stories of millions.
— Saba Naqvi (@_sabanaqvi) September 23, 2020
The fake news peddler, Rana Ayyub was also quick to make similar bizarre accusations.
Can the farmers protest outside NCB on the 25th ?
— Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) September 24, 2020
With something like this brewing, how could the Congress loyalist be left behind? They too jumped on to the bandwagon to contrive the same narrative that the actress was being used to distract attention from the nationwide farmers’ protest on the same day.
Bharat Bandh call on Sept 25,
— Salman Nizami (@SalmanNizami_) September 23, 2020
Deepika summoned on Sept 25.
Well done BJP & Media 😂👌
Chronology to manipulate headlines.
— hazeena syed (@SyedHazeena) September 23, 2020
Farmers organisation and @INCIndia starting their nationwide protest on 24th and NCB started calling A listers from that day only.
On Sep 25th, Farmers have called for a Bharat Bandh against Modi selling Agriculture to Corporates.
— Srivatsa (@srivatsayb) September 23, 2020
NCB calls Deepika on the same day as a distraction.
Media will only show Deepika & ignore farmers.
Kangana will also surely make a controversial statement to manage headlines!
But amusingly, while on one side the India Today journalists were seen casting aspersions on the government for using the actor to distract the public’s attention from the larger issues and whining about the unnecessary media coverage being given to Deepika Padukone’s summon, on the other side, the media house was seen tailing behind Deepika Padukone’s car, giving a minute to minute details of her whereabouts from Goa.
A Twitter user was quick to notice this. He called out India Today for their double-standards by sharing pictures of their reporter following the actor’s car in Goa.
India Today Journalist on Twitter: Deepika is summoned to distract people from real Issues
— પ્રકાશ (@Gujju_Er) September 24, 2020
India Today on TV: Hum Deepika ki caar ka pichha kar rahe hai. Bich vali car me deepika bethi hai. 😂
Real Issue @sardesairajdeep? pic.twitter.com/YJ2vtlq2mg
Ironically, India Today is now giving minute by minute update on Deepika Padukone after its journalists castigated the media for doing the same.
#Breaking#DeepikaPadukone still in Goa hotel, say sources. Will be leaving for Mumbai in an hour. @nagarjund gets us more details.
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) September 24, 2020
(@divyeshas)
Watch #5iveLive with @ShivAroor LIVE at https://t.co/4fqxBWbTYl pic.twitter.com/b16IqeVMSW
Actors Deepika Padukone and Sara Ali Khan, who were both in Goa, have taken off for Mumbai after they were summoned by the Narcotics Control Bureau in connection to the ongoing probe into the nexus of the alleged drug in Bollywood, which stemmed from Sushant Singh Rajput’s death.
While Deepika is expected to appear for questioning on September 25, Sara will appear a day later.
Incidentally, on the same date, the Congress will be holding a nationwide agitation against the farmer bills passed by the BJP government, and also initiate a campaign to collect two crore signatures of farmers and the poor against these proposed farm sector bills. Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said a series of press conferences will be organised against the farm Bills across the country. The state party chiefs and other senior leaders will take out marches in their respective states and submit memoranda to the respective state governors.
