In a significant development, the INDIA alliance, a coalition of 26 political parties in India, has clarified its stance on the recent decision to boycott several television news anchors. Congress leader Pawan Khera, representing the alliance, emphasized that the move is not a ban or blacklisting but rather a non-cooperation movement aimed at countering the spread of hatred in society.
Addressing the issue, Khera stated, “We have not banned, boycotted, or blacklisted anyone. This is a non-cooperation movement; we will not cooperate with anyone spreading hatred in society.” He also stressed that those targeted by the boycott are not considered enemies, and the alliance remains open to dialogue and cooperation if a change in their approach is observed. He added, “Nothing is permanent, if tomorrow they realize that what they were doing is not good for India, we will again start attending their shows.”
This clarification follows the release of a list on September 15, 2023, by the INDIA alliance, which contained the names of 14 television news anchors whose shows would be boycotted by the alliance’s media representatives. The decision came after the coordination committee of the alliance held its first meeting and released a joint statement.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, who released the list, explained the rationale behind the decision. He stated, “Today, we took a decision. Some anchors have been marked, and their shows and events will be boycotted. We do not want to legitimize this hate-filled narrative which is corroding our society.” Khera made it clear that the alliance was willing to face criticism but draws the line at the spread of hatred that could incite violence.
“We are not opposed to any of these anchors. We don’t hate any of these anchors. But, we love our country more. We love our Bharat,” Khera added.
The list of anchors to be boycotted includes prominent names from the Indian media landscape, such as Arnab Goswami from Republic Network, Sudhir Chaudhary from Aaj Tak, Amish Devgan from News18 Hindi, Navika Kumar from TimesNow, and Gaurav Sawant from IndiaToday Group, among others. The list was shared in public domain on the social media platform X.
The following decision was taken by the INDIA media committee in a virtual meeting held this afternoon. #JudegaBharatJeetegaIndia #जुड़ेगा_भारत_जीतेगा_इण्डिया pic.twitter.com/561bteyyti
— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) September 14, 2023
Raghav Chadha, an AAP MP and member of the alliance, had previously stated, “There are some anchors who conduct provocative debates. We’ll make a list of them, and INDIA alliance partners will stop going to their shows.”
In addition to the decision on news anchors, the coordination committee meeting also discussed matters related to seat sharing in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and the formation of state-level committees for negotiations with INDIA parties in different states. The 12 member parties present at the meeting further resolved to hold the coalition’s first public meeting in Bhopal.
The stance of the INDIA alliance on non-cooperation with certain news anchors reflects a broader effort to address concerns about the impact of media narratives on societal harmony and violence. While the decision has sparked debate, it remains to be seen how it will influence the media landscape and political discourse in India in the days ahead.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
