A day after PM Modi called out a CEO of a news channel for having deep-rooted hatred towards him, a journalist with the same news channel was caught parroting Congress’ campaign line live on television. A journalist with TV9 Bharatvarsh, the Hindi channel of TV9, was caught referring to the ‘Main Bhi Chowkidar’ campaign as ‘Chowkidar Chor Hai’ campaign.
Listen to what the anchor at @TV9Bharatvarsh says ON air about @narendramodi’s #MainBhiChowkidar program. And these guys are supposed to be ‘neutral journalists’? This woman should lose her job for peddling the Congress lies so blatantly! pic.twitter.com/HXV08F31yW
— Shefali Vaidya ஷெஃபாலி வைத்யா शेफाली वैद्य (@ShefVaidya) April 1, 2019
As can be seen in the above clip, the said journalist referred to ‘Main Bhi Chowkidar’ campaign as ‘Chowkidar Chor Hai’ campaign not once, but twice. Group Editor with TV9 Bharatvarsh claimed that it was a slip of tongue on the journalist’s part and apologised for the same.
This is completely slip of tongue. Still , I regret and apologise on her behalf. https://t.co/gr6OE2cFTs
— Vinod Kapri (@vinodkapri) April 1, 2019
However, Twitter users then questioned Kapri on how it could be a slip of the tongue when usually the lines which the reporter reads out are fed on a teleprompter.
Twice????
— dr neeraj kumar (@molarcannine) April 1, 2019
This is not the first time Kapri has been caught on the wrong foot. Earlier during the Kumbh Mela, Kapri had posted a picture of Jawaharlal Nehru claiming that Nehru had taken a dip during the 1954 Kumbh Mela. However, the image was actually of the time Nehru took a dip in the river after the immersion of the ashes of his father in 1931. Kapri was so adamant that he refused to believe a book which was in fact written by a Congress leader. Prior to that, Kapri was caught spreading fake news about Bulandshahr. When caught, he unapologetically went on to attack Uttar Pradesh Police.
Yesterday, at an event of the same news channel, TV9 Bharatvarsh, a video had emerged showing PM Modi talking to TV9 founder and CEO Ravi Prakash. In the video, Modi says, “You have filled your new channel with such people who have abuses for me in their blood”. Shocked, Ravi Prakash replies, “We are bringing change in that”. To that, Modi laughs and says “Don’t do this, let the poor people live, let it continue as it is. If their soul dies, it will not be fun”.
Alert social media users also noted that when PM Modi was making the comment, the channel’s editor Vinod Kapri was present right there, who is known for his hatred for Modi. It has been speculated that PM Modi’s comments were directed at Kapri, who is a known fan of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, and whose hatred for Modi is out in open through his social media posts.