A bragging India Today telecast a sting operation on the infamous JNU attack and tried its best to indict ABVP by portraying a young lad Akshat Awasthi as its member. But the ABVP has strongly denied it.
Bengaluru: Earlier this morning (January 10) senior journalist of India Today Rahul Kanwal put out a tweet saying he was up the whole night and working on an investigation and urged the people to watch the story later this evening.
Was up through most of last night working on an investigation. Groggy but charged. This is an important investigation and I’m glad that we are ones who will be telling the story. Do watch this evening. The story speaks for itself.
— Rahul Kanwal (@rahulkanwal) January 10, 2020
Moments after he put out this tweet, many users guessed what his story would be. Some of them said the investigation would be biased, with the sole aim of protecting the tukde tukde gang, Muslims and anti-Hindu forces and against Hindus.
Later this evening, probably at 6 pm when India Today began airing the sting operation, the predictions of the Twitter users turned out to be true.
Another infamously Left-leaning journalist of India Today Rajdeep Sardesai put out a tweet. And there are no prizes for guessing it. He squarely blamed a young lad named Akshat Awasthi, allegedly belonging to the ABVP and accusing him of mobilising attack on Sabarmati hostel.
Part 1 of @IndiaToday invgn into JNU violence. ABVP student confesses in detail on camera to organising and mobilising attack on Sabarmati hostel. Meet Akshat Awasthi.. caught on hidden camera. Watch @IndiaToday for much more #JNUTapes what does @DelhiPolice have to say now? https://t.co/HWruDGRpEv
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) January 10, 2020
As it often happens on social media, Rajdeep Sardesai was thoroughly exposed!
ABVP was quick to jump to its defence, saying he was neither an office bearer nor a karyakarta.
Akshat Awasthi is neither an office bearer, nor a karyakarta of ABVP, as claimed by @IndiaToday. This is a smear campaign run by India Today to deviate everyone from the facts put forth by @DelhiPolice proving #LeftBehindJNUVoilence.
— ABVP (@ABVPVoice) January 10, 2020
- National General Secretary @nidhitripathi92
Joy Tirke, DCP, Crime Branch who addressed the media earlier today said JNUSU President Aishe Ghosh led mob that attacked Periyar hostel. The others named as suspects are Chunchun Kumar, Pankaj Mishra, Waskar Vijay, Sucheta Talukraj, Priya Ranjan, Dolan Sawant, Yogendra Bhardwaj, and Vikas Patel as suspects.
Rahul Kanwal @rahulkanwal is running a smear campaign against ABVP
— Ashish Chauhan (@AshishSainram) January 10, 2020
No less than the President of JNUSU, Aishe Ghosh, HERSELF led attack on Periyar Hostel
Who is so-called Akshat Awasthi, no-one in ABVP. But India Today wants to malign ABVP
#LeftBehindJNUViolence pic.twitter.com/WSpIx64Pwl
The name of the ABVP activist who appears on the sting operation of India Today doesn’t earn a name in the list of suspects released by the Delhi police.
What’s the proof that this guy works for @ABVPVoice? Looks like a planned fake news.
— Abhinav Khare (@iabhinavKhare) January 10, 2020
Also a sting against a 19 years kid, who’s clearly adolescent enough to seek attention? And you call this your investigative journalism? Wah 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Police also added that the suspects were associated with four Left-wing organisations—Students Front of India (SFI), All India Students Federation (AISF), All India Students Association (AISA) and Democratic Students Federation (DSF).
On the issue of the cause leading to the violence, Tirke did not mince words in saying that the parties were against the ongoing winter registration process on the campus that resulted in several scuffles since January 3.
Last Updated Jan 10, 2020, 8:27 PM IST