Arnab Goswami, the editor-in-chief of Times Now on Wednesday night triggered off massive online protests after he called a fellow journalist on his program 'The Newshour' a "cover" for terror outfit Indian Mujahideen.
According to reports, a debate was held on Times Now after an ISIS video surfaced featuring an alleged Batla House encounter terrorist who managed to escape.
During the debate, Asad Ashraf, a journalist with Tehelka questioned certain loopholes in the police's version and claimed that the encounter could be fake.
Following this, Arnab called him a "cover for Indian Mujahideen," which can be seen at the 10:30 mark in this video.
However, Arnab has been criticized for the statement with Tehelka condemning it and stating that:
Tehelka as an organization stands firmly by the side of Asad Ashraf who was merely pin pointing at the loopholes in police version of Batla house encounter, without giving clean chit to any of the alleged ‘terrorists’ killed in that encounter. As a journalist, Asad has all the rights to investigate into matters and question official version and narrative propounded by the state machinery.
Abdul Wasey, the associate editor of the magazine added that, "I know Asad for quite from sometime. He is very impartial and professional journalist. He bases his reports on facts. Arnab must apologize for his irresponsible remark and start behaving in the future. He also needs to improve his tone, especially when he is on air. Is this the way the self-appointed voice of India should address his guest? Shame!”
In a blog for JanataKaReporter, Ashraf writes:
Arnab did not show the slightest of hesitation in calling me a cover for Indian Mujahideen, just because I could muster courage to point out the loopholes in the Batla House encounter. Of course I did so without proclaiming innocence for any of them killed in the encounter, as I believe it was the duty of the judiciary to decide the same. But I had forgotten one important fact; In Arnab Goswami’s ‘court’, he is the sole judge and prosecutor.
He also added that "it was a first-hand experience of how ridiculous Arnab and his panelists could be," for him. "They can stoop down to any level to implicate Muslims into their narrative of terrorism."
Ashraf also took to his Facebook page and wrote "I am not taking it easily, I am going to take all legal recourse against Arnab for calling me a 'sympathizer' of a barbaric organization like ISIS."
He later wrote:
With the kind of support , that has poured in for me from all sections of the society cutting across religious and ideological boundaries, I can proudly claim once again that I live in a country called India.