Ranjona Banerji: So which channel is a more pathetic excuse for journalism?

By Ranjona Banerji

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If you really want a good laugh, you should scroll through the desperate attempts by our nationalistic media to protect the Narendra Modi government from the aftermath of the $1.7 billion scam pulled on Punjab National Bank by jeweller Nirav Modi, through Thursday.

Times Now was quick off the mark on Thursday, with this bit of “breaking news”: “Big setback for Robert Vadra, IT department is set to probe Robert Vadra on Tax evasion.”​ ​

And let us pretend that the BJP and Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate did not promise in 2013 that when it came to power in 2014, Vadra, brother-in-law of Congress president, would be amongst the first to suffer. It is now 2018 and the day that one of the biggest frauds pulled on a bank has been revealed, this is the best that the intrepid team of Rahul Shivshankar, Navika Kumar and Anand Narasimhan could do?

You feel sad, really.

Republic TV put a wonderful spin on the scam, as pro-government forces were at work to prove that this was a “UPA scam”, that lay hidden below the surface for seven years with no action. Arnab Goswami’s “news” channel put out this “vote” on Twitter: “Nirav, Vadra and Karti: Do you support the unsparing crackdown by Modi govt on bank loot and corruption?”

You almost want to put out a vote of your own: ​”Times Now or Republic TV: which is a more pathetic excuse for journalism”.

Through Thursday, it was revealed, by other sections of the media, that all the accused in the PNB scam had left the country before the scam was discovered, that Nirav Modi, a well-known jeweller had accompanied the prime minister to the World Economic Forum at Davos. And what was there to get most upset about? Obviously that the Congress Party had referred to Nirav Modi as “Chhota Modi”. OMG, as they say, such disrespect to the Prime Minister! Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad spent more time on TV defending his boss than he did on the problems with the telecom industry in his earlier job and the disaster within the judiciary and with Aadhar in his current job. Priorities, priorities, but what do our nationalistic journalists care about those?

To give credit where it is due, Rahul Kanwal of India Today TV had through the day tweeted about the scam, about the whistleblower, jeweller SV Hari Prasad claiming that he first complained to the PMO in July 2016.

Journalist Swati Chaturvedi stated that according to her sources, contrary to the honourable minister’s claims, Nirav Modi did accompany the PM to Davos and the photos together were not just some photo op, as stated. In fact, Nirav Modi and his brother had a “private privileged” meeting with Narendra Modi in Davos in January 2018.

Lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan tweeted on Thursday evening that the CBI FIR clearly shows that loans were taken in February 2017, giving the lie to the claim that this was a “UPA” scam.

The Telegraph, Kolkata, has taken on government with this headline: “NiMo becomes NaMo’s baby: Photo and letter torment PM”. It has gone further and headlined that promise that Narendra Modi made to the electorate, which he might now be regretting: “Na Khaoonga Na Khane Doonga”, with the photograph of Nirav Modi in Modi’s delegation to Davos.

Times of India has gone with a pun and an accusation: “Finding NiMo: Nirav and kin left India by Jan 6”. The Hindustan Times’s various editions are very amusing. Delhi and Gurgaon headline pollution, Mumbai’s jacket headlines cricket, and within the paper plays it safe by focusing on the follow-up to the scam, that the Enforcement Directorate has seized Nirav Modi’s assets. This extra safe headline is repeated across other editions. The Hindu also focuses on assets seized.

The Indian Express has a follow-up headline too, but goes further than patting the ED’s back​:​ “Fraud expands Rs 3000 crore more from 17 banks, money laundering evidence.”

The fraud has the potential to go further. Now the acid test, especially for our friends in TV, is to see whether the next few days are all about Vadra and Chidambaram or whether a Modi or two get a mention!

​Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She is also Consulting Editor, MxMIndia. The views here are personal​