In light of the widespread anger against suspended BJP Spokesperson Nupur Sharma’s recent hate during a Times Now debate, Maharashtra police filed an FIR against senior TV journalist Navika Kumar.

According to a syndicated newsfeed, the Parbhani district police named Kumar and Sharma; the latter made objectionable remarks about Prophet Mohammad and Islam during a prime-time debate hosted by the former. At the time, the anchor Kumar had failed to put an end to Sharma’s anti-Islam slurs.

Therefore, a complaint filed by a Muslim cleric on June 13 said both Sharma and Kumar should be accused of intending to outrage religious feelings. Kumar is also Times Now Navbharat’s Editor-in-Chief and Times Network Group Editor.

“Kumar and Sharma are booked under section 295-A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC),” the police official told media persons.

While this FIR includes Kumar, already many complaints have been filed against Sharma with regards to this case. Earlier, Mumbai police had also registered an FIR against Sharma on May 28. However, no arrests have been reported since. Although the mass outrage from Gulf countries garnered Sharma’s suspension from the primary membership of the Bharaiya Jantata Party (BJP) on June 5, Indian Muslims on Friday gathered to demand her immediate arrest as well as that of recently-expelled BJP leader Naveen Kumar Jindal.

Huge protests by Muslims took place in multiple cities such as: Delhi, Srinagar, Lucknow, Prayagraj (Allahabad), Sahranpur, Firozabad, Hyderabad, Ranchi, Kolkata, Howrah, Panvel, Rudrapur, Jaspur, Haridwar, Ahmedabad, Surat, Kalupur, Khadia, Shahpur and Mirzapur.

People unequivocally condemned the BJP leaders for targeting the Muslim community. In many places, the protest ended peacefully within a short span of time. However, in regions like Prayagraj and Ranchi, police resorted to lathi-charge and tear-gassing to disperse the crowd. Overall, there have been over 417 arrests across India since Friday. Of these as many as 92 arrests were reported in Prayagraj.

Related:

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Friday protests: At least 325 arrests in UP alone!

Spontaneous pan-India protests against Nupur Sharma

Ranchi: 2 dead and Muslim boy terrorised for Friday protests

Right-wing calls Ranchi boy’s ordeal a “victim card” tactic

Evolution of Bulldozer Injustice

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It was not just the shops, homes, places of worship that were destroyed by the North Delhi Municipal Corportaion’s sudden demolition drive in communally sensitive Jahangirpuri. The JCB’s and bulldozers also exposed, brick by brick, the viciousness of what has come to be known as ‘godi media’, or journalists who sit in the laps of powers that be. Some came out of their air conditioned studios, once again, for a ring-side view of the suffering of the poor. Others chose to stay in the air conditioned environs and share their sheer delight at the destruction going on. They even glossed over the fact that there were many Hindu residents who stood in solidarity with their Muslim neighbours, and both suffered economic losses.

Leading from the front of what is a lesson on how not to be a journalist conversing ground zero was Aajtak anchor Anjana Om Kashyap. Reporting live next to a JCB, she began by asking if she could ride in it. That space apart from the driver of the earth mover and demolition machine is for the officials sent to carry out the demolition. That Kashyap wanted to be at the vantage point of the administration reveals another layer of her style of ‘”reporting live”.  The delight of bringing what she said were “live images from the crane that is going to demolish illegal construction”. That she had decided the status of the constructions even as the matter is in court may have its own implications.

Fourth Pillar of Democracy is part of Demolition of “Mera Bharat Mahan”. #StopBulldozingMuslimHouses pic.twitter.com/OVRRAHWxGk

— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) April 20, 2022

Fire will break out and houses will be hit hard
Our house is just a little bit here.
Madam! I am a Hindu
Anjana Om Kashyap!Have to walk from here.
This person’s voice and voice is saying that “I am a Hindu” The bulldozer sees Dharma and walks away.#StopBulldozingMuslimHouses pic.twitter.com/5nsrzrpYLf

— Ammar Akhtar farooqui (@Ammarakhtar81) April 20, 2022

While Anjana Om Kashyap was on the ground cherry picking who she wanted to speak to, ignoring the Hindu residents speaking of amity, and detailing the JCBs putting down structures in a frame by frame commentary, Navika Kumar, Kashyap’s tv anchor colleague from the rival Times Now, was having “fun” on Twitter.

Dramatic increase in demand for bulldozers. Are we increasing domestic capacity for manufacturing or will we have to depend on imports?? #JustAsking. ????

— Navika Kumar (@navikakumar) April 20, 2022

She could not help making a ‘destruction joke’. Kumar was then chastised by thousands of responses, not just from journalists, but even general users. She of course did not issue an apology nor take this offensive tweet with ‘funny’ emojis down. 

The emojis at the end of this&the tweet is insensitive Navika.
I am certain you also have worked a lifetime to build four walls that you call home. Don’t mock someone’s poverty&their pain. Violence was wrong, let law make the pronouncement of that punishment not a bulldozer. https://t.co/60qM5KoD1v

— Priyanka Chaturvedi?? (@priyankac19) April 20, 2022

You are a sick person, Navika. It takes a lifetime to build four walls you call Home. https://t.co/ff0yg4zW7Y

— Rahul Pandita (@rahulpandita) April 20, 2022

She did a full show later with the hashtag “BulldozerJustice”. She justified the demolition calling it a “precision strike on illegal structures” and said Hindu groups ‘took the initiative’ to voluntarily remove the encroachment structure of the local temple, while the Mosque had not. She then said Brinda Karat ‘made a beeline to Jahangirpuri claiming vendetta against one community’. Navika is still trending for her ‘bulldozer joke’, 24 hours after her initial comments.

#BulldozerJustice

5 days after yatra was ambushed, 7 bulldozers clear encroachment.

‘No discrimination’ in demolition, but Opposition slams ‘JCB of hate’

BJP justifies bulldozer crackdown, propaganda of ecosystem ‘razed’.@thenewshour with @navikakumar pic.twitter.com/LPkyvxYR4o

— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) April 20, 2022

Other journalists predictably added their two bits to the online commentary. 

One hopes that the bulldozers at #Jahangirpuri will go beyond roadside mobile carts and clear out actual encroachment. pic.twitter.com/xdnMuSdZcS

— Abhijit Majumder (@abhijitmajumder) April 20, 2022

Exact spot where the #HanumanJayanti procession was attacked with stones in Jahangirpuri of Delhi. Illegal encroachments being removed. Supreme Court has stayed the demolition drive but written orders yet to reach local authorities.

pic.twitter.com/U7CvIppN0z

— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) April 20, 2022

Related:

Brinda Karat stands tall in front of bulldozers at Jahangirpuri’s Tiananmen square moment

Jahangirpuri demolition drive: Do Supreme Court orders mean nothing to the BJP ruled Municipal Corporation?

Bengali Hindu refugee families allotted land in UP, while homes of Bengali Muslims face demolition in Delhi, Assam

72 percent of Mumbai’s mosque hold off on loudspeakers

Karnataka: Court directs FIR against hate-monger, Chandru Moger

Mob sets three houses ablaze in Agra over interfaith relationship

Karnataka: Muslim man beaten up for travelling with Hindu woman

The post Jahangirpuri: Navika Kumar, Anjana Om Kashyap demolish media credibility further appeared first on SabrangIndia.