Former BJP MP Balbir Punj has written a tribute letter to veteran journalist late Vinod Dua remembering Dua as a man full of life and a karam yogi. In his tribute letter, Balbir Punj also stated that Dua’s journalism during the last years of his life was heavily influenced by an ideology which was not directed towards the pursuit of truth and that Vinod Dua’s biased views took control of his journalism.
In his tribute letter titled ‘REMEMBERING VINOD DUA’, Balbir Punj has said that over the years Vinod Dua chose to ignore facts or twisted them to fit his narrative.
Punj said, “We lost a well known media personality VINOD DUA yesterday. I had known him for over three decades and his untimely demise has left me sad. He was full of life and a karam yogi. However, his ‘journalism’ was obviously shaped by the ideology he believed in. In last years of his life, he sounded more like an urban naxal, not as a journalist in pursuit of truth. over the years, VINOD’S heavily biased views overshadowed his journalism. He ignored inconvenient facts, or twisted them to suit his narrative. No wonder, in such a scenario, truth was the first casualty. But he couldn’t care less.”
Balbir Punj has also questioned if Vinod Dua could be called a journalist in the true sense or a political campaigner who peddled the anti- Modi narrative. He noted, “Can we call him a journalist ? I am afraid not. He was essentially a political campaigner, wedded to his world view. For him MODI & RSS couldn’t do anything right, and communists/Jehadies/Evangelists nothing wrong”
According to Balbir Punj, Vinod Dua was not ‘fearless’ as considered by many but a part of the ‘Left’ establishment who consider ‘Commies’ responsible for the creation of Islamic Pakistan as super ‘secular’.
He said, “For many VINOD was ‘fearless’. He wasn’t. He was a part of the establishment. In the post independence India, the ‘Left’ is the establishment… Here us an illustration. Commies, along with British and Jehadies, were responsible fir the creation of an Islamic Pakistan. For this ‘Establishment,Commies are not only super ‘secular’, they are the ones ‘authorised, to issue certificates of being Secular/Communal to individuals and organisations”
Yesterday, Mallika Dua, daughter of Vinod Dua had informed about the death of his father in an Instagram story referring to Dua as irreverent, fearless and extraordinary father.
Punj further noted that Vinod Dua was a ‘beneficiary’ of the Left establishment for a long time, “VINOD was a part and beneficiary of this establishment for long. He usually toed the establishment line- may be out of conviction or some other considerations – I am not sure”
However, Balbir Punj has stated that Vinod Dua was a “good, vibrant and entertaining company” and had the capacity to laugh at himself.