Hours after Pakistan’s Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry had openly admitted Pakistan role in the barbaric 2019 Pulwama terror attack exposing Pakistan’s direct support for Islamic terrorists, certain Indian media outlets like NDTV and India Today shockingly provided a platform to Fawad Chaudhry to ‘issue a clarification’.
On Thursday, India Today network and controversial Congress-era news network NDTV, granted space to a terror-enabler like Fawad Chaudhry to defend his earlier admission about Pakistan’s active role in carrying out Pulwama terror attack that left 40 Indian soldiers martyred.
NDTV, which has a history of propagating pro-Pakistan views on television, took to Twitter to put out a statement issued by Pakistan Minister Fawad Chaudhry. “Pak minister who bragged about Pulwama tells NDTV, ‘Pakistan doesn’t allow any terrorism, I was misinterpreted’,” reported NDTV.
India Today does an interview with Pakistan minister
India Today, which is currently accused of manipulating viewership ratings, went a step ahead to telecast an interview with the Pakistan Minister just hours of his shocking admission of Pakistan’s involvement in the 2019 Pulwama terror attacks that killed 40 CRPF soldiers.
Rajdeep Sardesai, in his show, invited Fawad Chaudhry and provided him with a platform to clarify earlier statements made inside the National Assembly. Calling the Pakistan Minister as ‘Saheb’, Rajdeep Sardesai enabled the Pakistani minister to make an u-turn on his own admission.
The controversial ‘journalist’ did not even pose tough questions to Pakistan minister or confronted him for admitting to Pakistan’s direct role in creating instability in the region and rather provided an opportunity for the terror-enablers to whitewash their crimes.
Speaking to India Today, Fawad Chaudhry attempted to clarify on his earlier admission by claiming that one should watch the entire speech he made in the National Assembly on Thursday.
#Pakistan minister @fawadchaudhry makes U-turn, says he was referring to post-Pulwama. Listen in. #NewsToday with @sardesairajdeep pic.twitter.com/gd1qrvPY5S
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) October 29, 2020
Making a u-turn, the Pakistan Minister claimed that when he spoke of Pulwama inside the National Assembly, he was referring to Pakistan’s immediate military response aftermath of Balakot airstrikes carried out by Indian Air Force on February 26, 2019, and not the Pulwama terror attacks.
During the entire interview, Rajdeep Sardesai enabled Chaudhry to distort his own admissions made on the floor of Pakistan’s Parliament and allowed him to get away with troublesome claims of India being the country that believes in festering trouble.
Rajdeep Sardesai allowed the following statements to be made by Fawad Chaudhry without offering any counter, condemnation or even a follow-up question:
- “I thought this is how Indian media behaves (referring to how his statement was allegedly ‘twisted’).
- “We don’t believe on ‘ghus ke marna like the Indian media believes, or the Indian security establishment believes that ki ‘terrorism karwao to wo ghuske maarna hai’. He then says, ‘we used our jets to openly attack India'”.
- “If someone believes in India that for political success, statements need to be twisted, then I can’t help”.
Essentially, Rajdeep Sardesai allowed a Pakistani minister who had just admitted that Pakistan actively carried out the Pulwama terror attack to insinuate not only that Pakistan fought India “honourably” but also, that it is the Indian Army that believes in spreading terrorism and not Pakistan.
While Fawad Chaudhry made such wildly ridiculous allegations, Rajdeep stayed mum. In fact, after these statements were made, almost agitated over Fawad putting Imran Khan in a touch spot, he questions Fawad about how he has now contradicted the earlier claims of Imran Khan that Pakistan had no role to play in the Pulwama terror attack.
Rajdeep Sardesai, troubled over Pakistan’s own admission of perpetrating terror in India, questioned Fawad Chaudhary for deviating from Pakistan’s earlier stand claiming that it did not have anything to do with Pulwama terror attacks.
In the interview with India Today, Fawad seemed nervous and fumbling for words. Any experienced journalist could have torn him a new one if the intent was clear and present. However, Rajdeep Sardesai chose to give him a free-run not only to go back on his earlier admission but also pull India down after admitting that Pakistan was carrying out terror attacks on its soil.
This fact was observed even by Army veterans who took exception to Rajdeep Sardesai’s conduct.
Frankly this interview was aimed to defend @fawadchaudhry . He was nervous & could have been torn apart but @sardesairajdeep had decided to support him. Poor journalism aimed at aiding rather than confronting. @IndiaToday your standards are dropping. Terribly conducted interview https://t.co/S70hrhLZbB
— Maj Gen Harsha Kakar (@kakar_harsha) October 30, 2020
Army veteran Major General Harsha Kakar went on to call the interview a “terribly conducted interview” that was “aimed at aiding rather than confronting”.
Pakistan Minister admits Pakistan role in carrying out Pulwama terror attack
It is pertinent to note that on Wednesday Pakistan’s Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry admitted Terroristan’s role in the barbaric 2019 Pulwama terror attack. Responding to the opposition criticism against Imran ‘Taliban’ Khan-led government over its failure to respond to India, Fawad Chaudhry said that Pakistan gave a befitting reply to India by entering their territory and attacking them in Pulwama.
“Humne Hindustan ko ghus ke maara (We hit India in their home). Our success in Pulwama, is a success of the people under the leadership of Imran Khan. You and us are all part of that success,” Fawad Chaudhry said in the national assembly.
#WATCH: Pakistan’s Federal Minister Fawad Choudhry, in the National Assembly, says Pulwama was a great achievement under Imran Khan’s leadership. pic.twitter.com/qnJNnWvmqP
— ANI (@ANI) October 29, 2020
“We are proud that our brave sons (terrorists) entered their territory and attacked them in Pulwama. Even Indian media is ashamed to report about Pulwama incident,” said Fawad Chaudhry as he boasted about Pakistan’s direct involvement in the deadly terrorist attack on CRPF convoy in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir on February 14, 2019.
The Pakistan Minister was referring to the suicide-attack unleashed by Pakistan-sponsored terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammad on the convoy of CRPF soldiers.