The official Twitter account of India Today which goes by the handle @IndiaToday is on a blocking spree on Tuesday afternoon for users who are addressing its journalist Rajdeep Sardesai as ‘dalal’.
On Friday afternoon, scores of Twitter users found themselves blocked by the official Twitter account of India Today, apparently for calling Rajdeep Sardesai a ‘dalal’. Interestingly, even when the users did not tag India Today’s official Twitter handle, the news organisation proceeded to block them.
If you tag @SardesaiRajdeep and call him a Dalal, @indiatoday will block you.
— Ankur Singh (@iAnkurSingh) February 26, 2021
So don’t tag Rajdeep and call him Dalal. Samajh gaye? pic.twitter.com/eJe12PehNW
Many social media users were seen asking whether the blocking spree was an effort by India Today to assuage the feelings of Rajdeep Sardesai who was recently taken ‘off air’ after he was found spreading blatant fake news on the Republic day when violent rioters were running rampage in Delhi.
Controversial journalist Rajdeep Sardesai was reportedly taken off air temporarily by India Today after he was caught spreading fake news during the tractor rally on Republic Day in Delhi. The media house also penalised him by reportedly cutting his salary for one month.
Sardesai was taken off-air by India Today group for ‘two weeks’ after he spread fake news about the death of rioter Navreet during the Republic Day riots. While Navreet had died after the tractor he was driving to break police barricades turned turtle, Sardesai put up a tweet claiming that he was shot at by police.
After about a month of keeping him off air over spreading fake news about death of rioter Navneet during Republic Day riots, India Today had recently reinstated Rajdeep Sardesai for the 9 PM show.
India Today channel blocking users for criticising its news coverage
Besides blocking users who addressed Rajdeep Sardesai as ‘dalal’ on Twitter, the official account of the news organisation also blocked users who criticised the organisation and its journalists in their tweets that included #AajTakSabseTez, a paid promotional campaign by the TV Today Network wherein it ridiculed other news channels for their sensational coverage of news while projecting itself as a no nonsense news channel.
The India Today Group social media caters to a cross section of audiences who find your language offensive & unparliamentarily. Therefore, we are blocking your handle. As a leader, it’s our duty to keep the platform safe for constructive conversation & dissent with decency.
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) February 26, 2021
When users posted tweets highlighting how Aaj Tak and India Today have been sensationalising the news items and peddling fake news, the India Today channel moved to summarily block them.
