Mumbai, July 3: The much-hyped interview of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Arnab Goswami left many disappointed as the Times Now editor-in-chief was ‘uncharacteristically’ soft during the conversation. After Narndra Modi’s interview, Arnab Goswami received a lot of flak from a section of journalists and social media for not asking important question and not grilling the Prime Minister over failed NSG bid and foreign policy with Pakistan.
Many alleged that the entire interview was scripted as Arnab Goswami hardly interrupted the PM Modi or countered on his replies. Questions were raised on Arnab’s integrity. Days after being trolled, Arnab finally broke his silence and hit back at his critics in his traditional style. The Times Now editor wrote an scathing article on the Business World, sending a direct message to the social media troll and his critics. (ALSO READ: Narendra Modi interview on Times Now: Did Arnab Goswami exhibit subtle sycophancy?)
On the question that why the Prime Minister chose Times Now, Arnab said, “Across the world, the first exclusive interviews are given to anchors and channels who command viewership. Not to those who nobody watches. Period.” (ALSO READ: Arnab Goswami takes jibe at Sagarika Ghose. Husband Rajdeep Sardesai gives befitting reply)
Targeting Sagarika Ghose, Arnab wrote, “For me, working far away from the machinations and intrigue of Lutyens journalism, the collective outrage of Lutyens journalists at the fact that I got the interview is amusing. One of them, a has-been anchor who desperately lobbies for an opportunity to be invited on my Newshour debates, even put out a tweet asking why the prime minister chose to give an interview to me and not hold a press conference. Embarrassed by the angry reactions, she deleted the tweet later. I thought her question was intellectually disjointed.”
Was Arnab soft? Why didn’t he raise my voice like on Newshour? Why did he keep referring to the Prime Minister as “Mr Prime Minister”? Here is Arnab’s response:
“First, I used the same tone with Rahul Gandhi. If this industry is disappointed with how he let them down, its not my problem. Second, Frankly Speaking is an interview and The Newshour is a debate, both are therefore different styles and formats. And finally, “Mr Prime Minister” is the most appropriate reference point when you are speaking to the Prime Minister.”
Arnab reiterated that all the key issued were covered during the interview and related questions were asked directly. “From NSG to China, Pakistan to Rajan, Swamy to inflation, 2019 to Uttar Pradesh and the politics of polarisation, rising unemployment to the parliament logjam, the possible passage of GST to the numbers in the Rajya Sabha, black money and the Rs 15 lakh in every bank account promise, the interview had covered it all,” stated Arnab.
Arnab also left a message for all his critics. Arnab wrote, “I don’t really need to explain all this. But I have written this down because I want the industry that has nothing to do but write about me to calm down and get composure. Eventually, all of us will be judged by what we do. Not by how elegantly we troll on social media and its satellites.”
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