On Sunday (3rd December) the counting for the assembly elections in four states – Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana is being conducted. BJP has emerged as the clear winner in three of those states – Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.
While speaking on the TV channel India Today during their live coverage, BJP IT cell’s head Amit Malviya ripped apart news anchor Rajdeep Sardesai for reporting his biases as election analysis instead of covering the ground realities. Amit Malviya said that instead of going to the chief minister’s residence and stuffing his face with food there, Rajdeep Sardesai should have reported correctly. He also advised the propagandist to retain some credibility in the last phase of his career as a journalist.
While getting the reaction from the BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya, Rajdeep Sardesai said, “We have had very fractious interactions on counting days. Today is a day for you to smile. Give a nice Amit Malviya smile.”
Answering him, Amit Malviya said, “Well Rajdeep, I am always smiling. But I have some advice for you. Instead of going to the chief minister’s residence and stuffing your face with food there, and singing melodies to chief ministers in their private jets, if you had read the mood and reported it correctly, you would not be feeling so embarrassed today.”
In an attempt to present his reporting as an honest one, Rajdeep Sardesai said, “Mr Malviya, you please see the episode of ‘Neta Nagari’ one week ago which says Congress to lose Rajasthan. It’s a video, I will send it to you, please watch it. I have also said in that program that Chhattisgarh will be a tough fight.”
To this, Amit Malviya said, “Well, Rajdeep, you know, frankly speaking, I think in your last days as a journalist, you should try and restore some credibility because anybody who saw your coverage thought that you were reporting what you wanted to see and not what was on the ground. I will just leave it at that.”
Notably, Rajdeep Sardesai faced heavy criticism for interviewing Rajasthan’s outgoing chief minister Ashok Gehlot in his private jet. The India Today TV presenter, towards the end of his interview with Gehlot, asked if the CM was interested in Hindi songs. “When Ashok ji is alone with family at home, not surrounded by anyone, What does he like to listen to?” Sardesai asked a hard-hitting question.
Ashok Gehlot said he liked listening to old songs. Dissatisfied with a half-hearted answer, Sardesai tweaked his question. He asked, “I am trying to know that there must be something about Ashok Gehlot that the people don’t know.” Even Pakistani Hindu cricketer Danish Kaneria slammed Rajdeep’s journalism and wrote on his X handle, “When bathroom singer became a journalist.”