Journalist Asad Ashraf takes on 'biased' Times Now anchor Arnab Goswami for terming him terror sympathiser

Journalist Asad Ashraf is all set to sue 'biased' Times Now anchor Arnab Gowasmi.

Ashraf was invited to the channel for a debate, however, Goswami cast aspersions on him when the former began putting across his point.

The journalist who works with Tehelka had questioned authenticity of the a video purportedly released by ISIS.

The video showed a suspect in it, who is liked to Batla House encounter.

However, the moment he expressed his suspicion, Goswami began lashing out at him.

He went on to term Ashraf as an Indian Mujahideen sympathiser. Other panelists too launched an attack on him. Ashraf's microphone was allegedly switched off and Goswami accused him of being a terror sympathiser.

But leading writers, journalists and activists have supported Ashraf. Goswami has lately been accused of pro-Hindutva leanings and of not allowing people with a different point of view to speak in the debates.

He has also been accused of misbehaviour with panelists. Congress leaders have boycotted the Prime Time on Times Now.

Also, many leading intellectuals, writers and academicians have expressed concern over the manner in which the show is conducted.

Panelists are not allowed to speak, if they are opposing Goswami's point of view and the narrative he wishes to propagate. Now, Ashraf intends to send a legal notice to Times Now.

Zero Credibility: Times Now takes 'right' turn, abandons journalism, becomes BJP mouthpiece

English news channel Times Now has taken a complete turn towards 'right', and has in fact gone to the extent of becoming a BJP mouthpiece.

The channel under Arnab Goswami was always known to have a pro-BJP tilt but ever since Modi government came to power, it has stopped its 'aggressive journalism'.

But when you can't attack the government, who will you shout at? In order to keep the tempo and maintain its TRP, it is now creating villains and targeting them.

The hashtag '#StopAntiIndiaCampaign' is just an example. By terming JNU and its students as 'anti-national', the TV channel is inflaming passions under the garb of its 'nationalistic journalism'.

While Kanhaiya Kumar didn't shout any slogan, he was arrested and booked for sedition. But the same channel remains soft on BJP, RSS and ABVP leaders who have been found involved in anti-national activities, rioting and extremist acts.

Arnab Goswami conveniently ignores right-wing group burning national flag or BJP allies like Akali Dal and PDP trying to save, release convicted terrorists. After, the prime task is to save the BJP and protect it, when it is failing on various fronts.

By diverting attention, creating new issues and inflaming passions, Times Now is cleverly acting as BJP-RSS' agent in the media. It is not alone. Zee News, India TV and many other channels are also doing exactly the same.

The casualty is journalism. Morality and ethics have been abandoned. The sole aim is to act for the Saffron groups. That's 'supari journalism' at its best. History won't be kind to Arnab Goswami and Times Now for shaming the noble profession.

Arnab Goswami faces flak for war-mongering on Times Now

The Editor-in-Chief of Times Now channel, Arnab Goswami, was always considered a balanced anchor in comparison to several other journalists who wage wars on the screen.

But in the aftermath of the Mumbai terrorist strike, he has also received criticism for his role. Though most of the viewers' anger was directed at Barkha Dutt, the strange statements of Goswami have also been condemned.

Writers, media-watchers, bloggers and journalists were shocked to see the 'level-headed' Goswami lose his sanity and lash out at Arundhati Roy and Prashant Bhushan who were neither on the show, nor the channel was talking to them, absolutely without context.

Not allowing guests to speak in TV studio

Mala Bhargava writes that 'Arnab Goswami was acting like God on Judgment Day'. "There should be an etiquette school for the media. Well, someone’s got to stop them interrupting their own guest speakers!" The standards of journalism plummeted sharply in the period.

Blogger Smoken Frog writes, "While the Sangh Parivar does not seem to have come to a final decision over whether or not it is anti-national and suicidal to question the police, Arnab Goswami, anchorperson of Times Now television, has stepped up to the plate. He has taken to naming, demonising and openly heckling people who have dared to question the integrity of the police and armed forces."

Calling Arundhati Roy, Prashant Bhushan 'Digusting'

Poet and Novelist Prakash Kona says that "Arnab Goswami had no right to take the names of Arundhati Roy and Prashant Bhushan and to term them “disgusting.” How dare he do that just because he has the power to do so!"

"Firstly, directly or indirectly he’s associating Roy and Bhushan with the Mumbai attackers in the minds of the viewers. Just because she’s offering a perspective on the attack it doesn’t mean she sympathizes with the attackers. Secondly, apart from being entitled to personal conviction, she’s offering a point of view that needs to be carefully thought about. Most importantly she is making her audience think in alternate ways.

As another blogger middlemiddlemuddle gave a advice:

'You can redeem yourself, everybody makes mistakes'. It will not be easy for the once adorable and balanced person, Arnab Goswamy, to redeem himself after he sounded the battle cries and in process lost a part of his journalistic identity--credibility.