On Thursday (7th March), ABP Ananda journalist Suman Dey courted controversy for making Hinduphobic gaumutra (cow urine) jibes during an interview with former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay.
The development came two days after Gangopadhyay resigned as a judge and joined the West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
He gave a 50-minute interview to ABP Ananda during which journalist Suman Dey asked him to choose between ‘Darjeeling Tea’ and ‘cow urine.’
At about 46:18 minutes into the programme, Suman Dey conducted a rapid-fire round with retired Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay. While most questions asked during the segment were harmless, one question in particular raised eyebrows.
“Darjeeling tea na gaumutra (Darjeeling tea or gaumutra),” he asked with a mischievous smile. The ABP Ananda journalist did not have any qualms about making casual, Hinduphobic remarks. Instead, he was seen smirking about it during the interview.
Gaumutra jibe – A Hinduphobic slur
It is worth noting that the ‘Gaumutra’ jibe has been popularised by Islamists and their apologists as a racist, derogatory slur against Hindus.
In 2019, a Pakistan-backed Jaish-e-Muhammad terrorist in a suicide attack, killed as many as 40 CRPF soldiers in Pulwama, Kashmir. Following the attack, a video was released in which the terrorist could be heard saying he wanted to punish and kill the ‘cow urine drinkers’ in the name of Allah.
The terrorist, identified as Adil Ahmed Dar was seen admitting that he had joined the Jaish-e-Mohammad a year ago. In the video, he referred to Indians as “Gae ka Peshab Peene Wale” (People who drink cow urine).
TMC leader Mahua Moitra, UBT leader Uddhav Thackeray and DMK politician DNV Senthilkumar S has made gaumutra jibes in the past to settle political scores with the BJP.
ABP journalist Suman Dey booked by Mamata govt
Recently, ABP Ananda journalist Suman Dey was booked by the Mamata Banerjee-led-government for reporting on unrest and violence in Sandeshkhali village in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.
The case was registered based on a complaint by Sandeshkhali police Sub-Inspector Mohd Monaim Hassan on 17th February this year.
Journalist summoned by WB CID,
— Suman Roy Chaudhuri সুগত (@SumanRC5) February 24, 2024
Media under attack in West Bengal
Sri Suman Dey , Executive Vice President of ABP Ananda summoned by CID
I strongly condemn …@abpanandatv @ABPNews @IamSumanDe
In his complaint, he alleged, “It has come to my notice that during the telecast of an episode of “Ghanta Khanek Sange Suman” hosted by Suman Dey on 12.02.24, it was repeatedly mentioned that while forwarding two arrestees, Susanta Sardar alias Uttam Sardar and Bikas Singh, to the Basirhat Court in Sandeshkhail PS, police custody was not sought for the said two arrested persons.”
While alleging provocation on part of Suman Dey, Hassan claimed, “The fact is that the Investigating Officer of the concerned case, while forwarding the two arrestees, had submitted a prayer to the Ld. Court seeking 10 days’ police custody for both the arrested accused persons.”
The ABP journalist was thereafter booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 153 (provocation) and 505 (statements conducing public mischief).
