In a significant development, the Congress party of the INDIA Alliance has declared a boycott of 14 news anchors, stating that their shows and programs will be avoided by the leaders of the united Opposition. The decision comes as a response to what the party sees as a “shop of hatred” opened by these anchors every evening. So who are these 14 journalists who have been included in the list of banned journalists for spreading hate-narrative in India? Let’s find out.
Objective: ‘Hate-Free India’
The Congress party’s senior leader, Pawan Khera, emphasized that the objective is to promote a ‘Hate-Free India.’ The party’s stance is that they will not engage with channels that promote hate-filled narratives.
The decision to boycott these anchors and their shows was taken at a meeting of the INDIA coordination committee, which includes opposition parties. The committee aims to address the issue of media hostility and hate.
But how did the opposition react to this?
BJP’s Response
The BJP swiftly responded to the Congress’s move, accusing the Congress of a history of trying to control and silence the media. BJP chief JP Nadda highlighted instances of past Congress leaders curtailing free speech and attempting to control the media.
News Broadcasters & Digital Association’s Concern
The News Broadcasters & Digital Association expressed deep concern over the decision to boycott news anchors. They stated that it goes against the ethos of democracy and reflects intolerance, endangering press freedom.
But this is also not the first time the opposition has criticized the media.
In May 2019, the party boycotted television shows for a month, refusing to send spokespersons for debates. The Congress has also accused a section of the media of giving it insufficient coverage during political events.
Anchors on the Boycott List
The anchors who are part of the boycott include Arnab Goswami (Republic TV), Rubika Liyaquat (Bharat24), Sudhir Chaudhary, Chitra Tripathi, Gaurav Sawant, and Shiv Aroor (India Today-Aaj Tak network), Navika Kumar (Times Network), Sushant Sinha (Times Now), Aman Chopra, Amish Devgan, and Anand Narasimhan (CNN-News18), Prachi Parashar (India TV), Aditi Tyagi (Bharat Express), and Ashok Shrivastav (DD News).
