Barkha Dutt to Arnab Goswami: Happy that you loathe my kind of journalism

Barkha Dutt mentioned that she is ashamed to be from the same industry as Arnab Goswami who called for gagging of media.

New Delhi, July 27, 2016: Miffed over Times Now Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami demanding strict action against “pseudo-secular and pro-Pakistan” journalists, NDTV consulting editor Barkha Dutt has written a strongly worded Facebook post criticising her former colleague for his “cowardly hypocrisy”. Dutt said she is ashamed to be from the same industry as Goswami who called for gagging of media.

In his primetime Newshour debate on July 26, which happened to be Kargil Diwas, Goswami had called some of his rival channels sympathiseres of terrorists and pro-Pakistan and had called for stringent punishment for them. Taking strong exception to the #ProPakistanDoves term used by him for journalists, Dutt questioned his silence over the alliance agreement between BJP and PDP that commits them to talks with Pakistan and Hurriyat and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s own Pakistan outreach.

“So he drones on and on about Pro Pakistan Doves without one word on the JK alliance agreement that commits the BJP and PDP to talks with Pakistan and Hurriyat and is silent on Modi’s own Pakistan outreach- neither of which I object to- but since Arnab Goswami measures patriotism by such views why is he so silent on the government? Chamchagiri?” wrote Barkha.

She also expressed disgust over sections of media’s silence on Goswami calling them ISI agents. “Imagine, a journalist actually exhorts the government to shut down sections of the media, misrepresents them as ISI agents and terror sympathisers, calls for them to be tried and acted against. And our fraternity remains locked into politically correct and timid silence,” wrote the NDTV journalist.

Barkha also mentioned that she “hopes that she will always be someone whose journalism Goswami loathes as it would kill her to be on the same side of any issue as him”.

Watch Arnab Goswami Newshour Video: 

“Well I am not a shrinking violet Mr. Goswami and no matter how many times you take my name directly or indirectly on your show, I really don’t give a toss for your opinion. I hope I will always be someone whose journalism you loathe, because trust me, the feeling is so utterly mutual that it would kill me to be on the same side of any issue as you,” she wrote at the end.