Arnab Goswami is at it again, and this time, he’s gone ahead and called Asad Ashraf, a journalist by profession, an Indian Mujahideen sympathiser on the Newshour debate on 23 May 2016.
During the course of the shouting match organised to discuss the controversial Batla House encounter, the Editor-In-Chief of Times Now took on Asad Ashraf when he questioned the authenticity of a previously released video by the ISIS in which Sajid Bada, one of the accused in the Batla House encounte, warns that a war is about to be waged on India.
Sajid Bada, interestingly, has been declared dead three times by sections of the media before.
For questioning the authenticity of the video, Goswami launched an all-out attack on Ashraf, calling him a sympathiser “working as a cover for terrorists” - all this just nine minutes into the debate. Probably taking his cue from Goswami, RSS leader Ratan Sharda called Ashraf a “frontrunner of terrorist organisations” for his efforts.
Ashraf later explained on a blog in Janta ka Reporter that he made an appearance on the show to put forth an alternate point of view and bring to light the loopholes.
They can stoop down to any level to implicate Muslims into their narrative of terrorism. For them, questioning the authenticity of Batla House encounter is tantamount to supporting ‘Indian Mujahideen’ and the ISIS. However, I am glad I went and experienced what friends have complained about him before.Asad Ashraf
News publishing house Tehelka since then has come out in support of Asad, and published a story titled Tehelka Joins Issue With Arnab Goswami.
If you find yourself intrigued, watch the debate below.
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