Days after 50 people were killed in political violence during the West Bengal panchayat election, India Today ‘journalist Rajdeep Sardesai attempted to contextualise the violence and give Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee a clean chit.
On being asked by journalist Saurabh Dwivedi of Lallantop about the incumbent TMC government’s failure to contain the violence, Sardesai dodged the question altogether and narrated the history of political violence in West Bengal.
Unlike other times, Dwivedi pressed the veteran ‘journalist’ to answer his specific question about the current situation in the State. “Please speak on the failure of the Chief Minister, the State Election Commission, the improper deployment of central forces and the inability to hold free and fair elections,” he reiterated.
Is @SardesaiRajdeep a journalist or TMC Spokesperson?
— Ankur Singh (@iAnkurSingh) July 15, 2023
Check how he defends Mamata Banerjee on Violence in Bengal during panchayat elections.
Tried to blame central forces, when failed says it was poltical compulsion of Mamata to anyhow become Neta No. 1 pic.twitter.com/BqrJ0JEtY7
Rajdeep Sardesai tried to evade the question by raking up ‘chronology’, and ‘political culture of Bengal.’ He then resorted to tokenism and claimed that he condemns violence in all forms. “I am not trying to normalise violence,” he made a desperate appeal.
The India Today ‘journalist’ suggested that while the State government is responsible for maintaining the law and order situation, nothing much can be expected due to the development of a politically surcharged environment.
Saurabh Dwivedi intervened and informed Sardesai that it is the job of the journalists to hold State governments accountable when they fail to discharge their duties.
Rajdeep Sardesai then tried to blame the BJP by claiming that violence was at its peak in the constituency of Nisith Pramanik, BJP leader and the Minister of State for Home Affairs. He suggested that despite the deployment of Central forces, the situation in Pramanik’s constituency could not be controlled.
At that point, Saurabh Dwivedi intervened again and told Rajdeep Sardesai that the central forces were not notified about sensitive areas. “The intent should be there since you (TMC) are running the government,” he emphasised.
A defensive Rajdeep Sardesai then claimed, “This is why I told you about chronology at the start. The Panchayat election was a fight for relevance and maintenance of political stature.”
While implying that violence was a political necessity, he said, “Mamata Banerjee had to do something to show her opponents that she is leader No.1 in West Bengal.”
When Rajdeep Sardesai chose to eat ‘rasgulla’ over asking tough questions to Mamata Banerjee
In August 2021, the veteran ‘journalist’ conceded that he would have been denied ‘rasgulla’ (a traditional Bengali sweet) by Mamata Banerjee if he asked her about her post-poll pogrom in West Bengal.
Rajdeep Sardesai was asked whether he questioned Banerjee over the saga of political violence in West Bengal. He chuckled and said, “I was not there to take her interview. I went there casually on ‘chai pe charcha’. Had I asked her about the post-poll violence I would not have gotten to eat rasgullas”.
In 2021, Rajdeep didn't ask question to Mamata Banerjee on Bengal Violence because then Mamata wouldn't hv given him a Rasgulla.
— Ankur Singh (@iAnkurSingh) July 15, 2023
A Rasgulla is more important for @SardesaiRajdeep than human lives? pic.twitter.com/MUGdGIcHkm
Rajdeep Sardesai’s submissive response came when Dwivedi asked him whether he had questioned Mamata Banerjee on the recent post-poll violence, in which her party cadres unleashed mayhem on the BJP workers and supporters in the state.
When Saurabh Dwivedi again inquired whether Sardesai questioned Mamata Banerjee about the brutality of TMC workers, the veteran ‘journalist’ clarified that he was not there to take Mamata Banerjee’s interview but to wish her for her victory. “Whenever I do her interview I will ask her this question”, he said.
