After an OpIndia report that detailed how Nidhi Razdan had made ill-informed, anti-statements in a UK event based on Kashmir, Nidhi had launched a tirade and claimed that she, in fact, countered the propaganda of Pakistan at this event held in the UK. Defence analyst Abhijit Iyer Mitra had claimed earlier that Nidhi had found support for her statements even from banned terror outfit JKLF.
Read: NDTV’s Nidhi Razdan attends UK ‘Kashmir’ event, gets endorsed by JKLF
Mitra responded to a Tweet by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy who had claimed that his sources had said that Nidhi Razdan had in fact not said what was being claimed. Mitra said that there were multiple sources confirming that Nidhi Razdan had, in fact, made the very statements as were being claimed.
Thread
1n 2 different sources confirm what Nidhi said. Left 2 PTI report in India today Right 1 the News in Pakistan. The accusation wasn’t one of malice, @OpIndia_com was requesting compassion for an underperforming amateur with memory retention & low IQ problems. For example https://t.co/nrDKugDCcD pic.twitter.com/e4ZWTwqLmt— Abhijit Iyer-Mitra (@Iyervval) 12 November 2019
The statements in question were quoted by PTI and Pakistani news portals. In fact, the statements quoted by OpIndia were credited to India Today, the very report that Nidhi Razdan had herself endorsed as the true picture of her statements.
Here is a link to what was said : https://t.co/P8ce2XUhip
— Nidhi Razdan (@Nidhi) 11 November 2019
Defence analyst Abhijit Iyer Mitra came out strongly to slam the anti-India comments made by Nidhi Razdan.
3n also comms were taken down in 2016 during the Burhan Wani riots – unsuccessfully. But lessons were learnt, and the was the logical GRADED ESCALATION (the correct operational term). But then nobody accused Nidhi of being an operations expert pic.twitter.com/CVuf731QTB
— Abhijit Iyer-Mitra (@Iyervval) 12 November 2019
Abhijit says that the first fallacious comment made by Nidhi Razdan at the UK Kashmir event was that there is unprecedented communication blackout in the Kashmir valley. Abhijit says that in 91-92, there was a communication blackout for 6 months when terrorists had blown up a cable tower. Even in 2016, during the riots that followed forces neutralising terrorist Burhan Wani, there was a communication blackout.
5n “all top political leaders” … this ones an absolute gem. PREVENTIVE custody Nidhi is to PREVENT, not POST FACTO. but then nobody accused Nidhi of being an ENGLISH NEWS ANCHOR. hang on SHE IS… so if she doesn’t understand English what’s she doing on an English news channel? pic.twitter.com/Mg917R5Bnw
— Abhijit Iyer-Mitra (@Iyervval) 12 November 2019
Abhijit then slammed Nidhi Razdan’s comment that what was happening in Kashmir was against the principles of democracy. He said that democracy means protecting all civilian lives and not just those of a handful of stone pelters and rioters.
Further, Nidhi had said that ‘all political leaders are in preventive custody without having done anything’. To this, Abhijit said that the custody was “Preventive” which means that they were under custody so they would not disturb the peace.
7n “there is mass civil disobedience” yes that’s one aspect – but notice no mention of the other half – terrorist coercion killing shopkeers who trade or truckers who transport – it was her beloved party the NC & the PDP thugs doing most of the coercion notice what’s common??? pic.twitter.com/ZawlSJ9Ske
— Abhijit Iyer-Mitra (@Iyervval) 12 November 2019
Nidhi Razdan had also made another terribly ill-informed statement. She essentially said that post the abrogation of Article 370, there has been no violence and yet, there was a communication blackout. However, Abhijit too pointed out that she has conveniently forgotten to mention the vicious murder of migrant labours in Kashmir by terrorists.
10n “people who held the Indian flag” yeah Geelani took the constitutional oath too. Several terrorists today voted/took part in past elections. But I guess by Nidhis logic, the moment a criminal “holds the Indian flag” he ceases to be a criminal. pic.twitter.com/OymZtYSTcB
— Abhijit Iyer-Mitra (@Iyervval) 12 November 2019
Abhijit further added that Nidhi Razdan was way off the mark to say that the people of Kashmir were not consulted before the abrogation of Article 370 as only Sunni Muslims did not make up the ‘people of Kashmir’.
Read: Terrorists shot dead 6 daily wage earners from West Bengal in Jammu and Kashmir
Nidhi Razdan had also said that the leaders who picked up the Indian flag were under detention by India. Iyer pointed out that Geelani took the constitutional oath too and several terrorists took part in the past elections but that doesn’t absolve them of their actions against India.
12n Now watch this video where @LyallGrant claims “500,000” troops https://t.co/I1vOylZnwX Which Nidhi didnt challenge. Clearly the “RW rag” got its facts https://t.co/GVVvKFX8mH better than an NDTV alleged journalist caught peddling pak sponsored fake news yesterday pic.twitter.com/BGVtrn4YRA
— Abhijit Iyer-Mitra (@Iyervval) 12 November 2019
Senior Former Diplomat Mark Lyall Gratt had claimed that India had deployed 5,00,000 troops in Kashmir. However, this lie was also not countered by Nidhi Razdan where she let the Pakistan propaganda flow easily without countering the lies being peddled against India. To the delights of the Pakistani establishment, Nidhi Razdan had also added that India’s credentials at the world’s largest democracy have been shadowed by the events in Kashmir.
NDTV finding support in Pakistan is nothing new. Recently, Pakistan had shared an NDTV video to further their anti-India agenda. Earlier in March, NDTV’s star anchor Raveesh Kumar had urged media that they should not report the post-Pulwama India-Pakistan conflict, because it will ‘help BJP in the elections’. Raveesh’ statements were soon used by Pakistani media to further their anti-India narrative.
Recently, radical Islamist Zaid Hamid had used ex-NDTV anchor Barkha Dutt’s tweets to spew venom against India.
NDTV seems to fan its ‘Kashmir is in fear’ narrative so much that they are now bordering on an open call for violence. The clip by NDTV reporter that claimed an old Kashmiri man allegedly challenged India to ‘lift the curfew’ to see the real sentiment of Kashmiri people is nothing but another attempt to further their baseless fearmongering. The way NDTV, and for that matter, many media portals are going on about the issue, it seems as if they are just waiting, rather hoping for a riot to happen and people to die, just so they can claim that the central government has failed and thus help Pakistan further its narrative.
Today itself, Nidhi Razdan had furthered the Pakistan propaganda regarding India imposing curbs on Kashmiris offering prayers at the Hazratbal shrine.
