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Arnab Goswami calls Muslim journalist Indian Mujahedeen sympathiser; Times Now takes down video

A Muslim journalist was called a Indian Mujahedeen sympathiser on live television debate by Times Now Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami.

Published: May 25, 2016 9:17 AM IST

By India.com News Desk

Arnab Goswami calls Muslim journalist Indian Mujahedeen sympathiser; Times Now takes down video

Mumbai, May 25: A Muslim journalist was called a Indian Mujahedeen sympathiser on live television debate by Times Now Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami. According to Asad Asharf, who worked at DNA, he was called a cover for terror outfit Indian Mujahideen during a debate over controversial Batla House encounter by anchor Arnab Goswami. Times Now later removed the video of the debate from their website.

A debate was held at Times Now channel after a ISIS video surfaced featuring an alleged Batla House encounter terrorist who managed to escape. “Where are the sympathisers of Batla House encounter?” asked Arnab Goswami. Journalist Asad Ashraf, who has been reluctant to accept Batla House encounter as a genuine encounter in the light of several discrepancies and loopholes in the police version of it, was invited to discuss on the issue. (ALSO READ: Terrorist who escaped in Batla House encounter joins IS, NIA to examine video)

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When Asad Asharf tried to put forward the loopholes in the Batla House encounter, he was called as Indian Mujahedeen sympathiser by Arnab Goswami. “Arnab did not show the slightest of hesitation in calling me a cover for Indian Mujahedeen, just because I could muster courage to point out the loopholes in the Batla House encounter,” Ahsraf wrote on Janata Ka Reporter.

During the debate, RSS leader Ratan Sharda also called Ashraf a frontrunner of terrorist organisations. “Instead of paying heed to my opposition to his remarks, ‘Jurist’ Arnab asked me to remain calm so that Sharda could continue to keep hurling allegations against me,” said Ashraf. “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,” he added.

Activist Kavita Krishnan pointed out on social networking site Facebook that Times Now had taken the video of the debate from its channel website. “Shameless Times Now has decided to not upload the video in the link where Arnab Goswami calls journalist Asad Ashraf and Tasleem Rahmani sympathizers of terrorist organizations just because we raised question over the authenticity of Batla house encounter. Now they fear legal repercussions,” she wrote. However the video is available on their YouTube channel.

Watch the debate below:

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