On Wednesday, November 28, Congress spokesperson Sujata Paul went on an unhinged rant against journalist Harshvardhan Tiwari during an IndiaTV news debate. The debate was over the Congress party’s politicisation of the Uttarakhand tunnel rescue operation and attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi who heads the NDMA.
While senior journalist Harshvardhan Tiwari was making his point that development work including the construction of tunnels and all-weather road in Silkyara should be undertaken and that it would be transformative for the local people, a visibly annoyed Sujata Paul was seen making faces, and gestures suggesting that Tiwari’s opinion is senseless. As Tiwari noticed the Congress spokesperson’s behaviour, he inquired if she has a problem since she is making weird faces.
To this, the wannabe Supriya Srinate harangued, “Because you are sitting here as journalist…don’t sit here as a journalist. You don’t know things…I am sitting here in Uttarakhand…what do you even know…Uttarakhand doesn’t need highway…have some shame…(unclear voice)…”
Leaving the Tiwari and the debate’s anchor shocked with her behaviour, Paul continued, “7 people have already died due to this project. What is he [Tiwari] even talking.”
When the anchor interrupted Paul saying that it is Tiwari’s opinion and she can disagree with him, however, the Congress spokesperson aggressively asked why the senior journalist was giving his personal opinion. While the anchor reiterated that Sujata Paul should let the debate continue properly and allow Tiwari to make his point, Paul reasserted that Tiwari should stop giving his personal opinion on the issue.
Reacting to Paul’s comments, Tiwari said, “Understand the real problem…this sudden burst of anger is a tactic of the Congress spokespersons. But they won’t achieve anything from it.”
In no mood to correct her behaviour and calm her tone down, Sujata Paul labelled journalist Tiwari as a spokesperson for the BJP. “Look at his way of talking. You are BJP spokesperson…everyone knows it… he is telling stories.
As the situation went calm momentarily, Tiwari decided to wind up his point saying that the tunnel project should be completed. Sujata Paul interrupted saying that it should be closed and a case be filed. Tiwari opined that to provide the local people with essential services like roads, tunnels are needed to ensure basic facilities for locals. He added that PM Modi should get credit for ensuring a successful rescue operation. But then the Congress spokesperson again said, “he is sitting in Lucknow and talking about Uttarakhand. PM Modi should get credit for the incident of 41 workers getting trapped in the tunnel.”
Taking to X, Congress leader Sujata Paul shared a video of her war of words with Harshvardhan Tiwari. Calling Tiwari a “Namoona” Paul alleged that the journalist hates women and its credit goes to his RSS upbringing.
“Listen to this amazing Namoona. Actually, his hatred towards women is the result of his RSS upbringing. They come to argue or to show people’s faces as dirty. Whose dirty, bad thoughts, his dirty mouth speaks equally dirty,” Paul wrote.
सुनिए इस गजब के नमूने की बात।
— Sujata Paul – India First (Sujata Paul Maliah) (@SujataIndia1st) November 30, 2023
दरअसल, महिलाओं के प्रति इनकी नफरत इनकी आरएसएस वाली परवरिश का नतीजा है।
ये बहस करने आते हैं या लोगों के चेहरे को गंदा बताने।
जिसकी गंदी घटिया सोच, उसकी गंदे मुख से उतनी गंदी बात।
Video courtesy: @indiatvnews#UttarakhandTunnel #SilkyaraTunnel pic.twitter.com/vRPVyrQW6e
Netizens, however, were not pleased with the Congress spokesperson’s behaviour.
An X user wrote a sarcastic in response to Paul’s post, “And while you are talking so calmly and politely, yet this man is talking so rudely to the woman. This is absolutely too much, polite, polite and brilliant speakers like you, Supriya Alka Lamba, Ragini Radhika Khera should not be exposed to these.”
और जबकि आप कितनी शांति और शालीनता से बातें कर रही है तब भी ये पुरुष महिला से कितनी अभद्रता से बात कर रहा है
— Sea farer (@World_neptuner) December 1, 2023
बिल्कुल हद है एकदम , आप, सुप्रिया अलका लांबा रागिनी राधिका खेरा जैसी सुशील विनम्र और शानदार वक्ताओं को इनके मुंह लगना ही नहीं चाहिए
अशिष्ट असभ्य कठोर कहीं के 🙄
One X user wrote a sarcastic comment calling out Sujata Paul’s attempt to match Supriya Srinate’s level, “Nowadays everyone keeps trying to become @SupriyaShrinate in Congress, but no one becomes Supriya Srinate just like that, to become one has to contest elections and then get one’s deposit forfeited. That’s why you won’t be able to do it.”
कांग्रेस में आजकल हर कोई @SupriyaShrinate बनने की कोशिश करता रहता हैं,लेकिन सुप्रिया श्रीनेत ऐसे ही नही कोई बनता, उसके बनने के लिए चुनाव लड़ना ओर फिर अपनी जमानत जब्त करानी पड़ती हैं।
— दुष्यन्त सिंह जादौन (@idushyantjadaun) November 30, 2023
इसलिए तुमसे नही हो पायेगा।
Uttarakhand Tunnel Rescue operation
On November 28, the 17th day of the rescue operation, all 41 trapped workers were safely evacuated from the Silkyara tunnel. The rescue operation had been ongoing since 12th November when the debris fell in the 60-metre stretch on the Silkyara side of the tunnel trapping 41 labourers inside the under-construction structure. To make the rescue operation a success, the officials had inserted pipes to provide essentials like food, water, medicine, and sufficient oxygen supply for the trapped workers. They had also sent communication devices and maintained regular communications with the trapped workers to keep their morale high.
It is notable that the construction of the said tunnel is a part of the strategic 900 km long Char Dham project worth Rs 12,000 crore. The project will provide all-weather connectivity to four holy towns of Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath in Uttarakhand. PM Modi laid the foundation of the project in December 2016.
