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After the damaging and sensational What’s app conversations between Republic TV Editor-in=- Chief Arnab Goswami and the former BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta, who is in judicial custody in the TRP scam emerged in the public domain has caused a huge stir.
Several Congress leaders in their tweets have said it merited a “thorough inquiry” since many of the issues raised in their conversations pertained to “national security”. BJP is yet to issue a statement on the scandalous Arnab Goswami chats.
Leading the attack , Senior Congress leader and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram tweeted, Did a journalist (and his friend) know about the retaliatory strike on Balakot camp three days before the actual strike?
Did a journalist (and his friend) know about the retaliatory strike on Balakot camp three days before the actual strike?
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) January 17, 2021
In another tweet tagging Union defence Minister Rajnath Singh Chidambaram wrote
If yes, what is the guarantee that their ‘source’ did not share the information with others as well, including spies or informers working for Pakistan?
How did a “For Your Eyes Only” decision find its way to the government-supporting journalist? @rajnathsingh
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) January 17, 2021
Senior Congress leader and former I&B Minister Manish Tewari even demanded a JPC on the chats in his tweet
If what sections of Media is reporting is correct then it points towards a direct linkage between Balakot air strikes and 2019 General elections.
Was National Security milked for electoral purposes ?Needs a JPC investigation.
https://t.co/WECJNhlWzU via @ThePrintIndia
— Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) January 17, 2021
Senior Congress leader and former MoS HRD and External Affairs, Shashi Tharoor, too tweeted his reaction to the Arnab Goswami chats
The leaked @WhatsApp chats reveal 3 reprehensible things requiring serious inquiry: leaking of military secrets to a TV channel for its commercial purposes; a “nationalist” gloating over the death of 40 jawans as an “attack we have won like crazy”,&fraudulent manipulation of TRPs
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 17, 2021
But if the Govt won’t conduct such an inquiry (& we all expect it won’t, given the evidence of its complicity in the betrayals revealed), who will? Is this one more thing we will have to take a PIL to the Supreme Court for?
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 17, 2021
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh tweeted ,
Since 1967 BARC has stood for Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. Thanks to Arnab Goswami another self-styled BARC —Broadcast Audience Research Council is in news now. The first BARC built a strong & scientific India. The other BARC is aiding & abetting weapons of mass disinformation.
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) January 16, 2021
Other opposition leaders to tweeted their comments :
Priyanka Chaturvedi, Rajya Sabha MP Shiv Sena
Pulwama was a TRP success/ celebration for a news channel editor. We lost 40 CRPF men.
Balakot information was available before the strike&election win strategy.
Former I&B Minister was a great friend. The predecessor even set aside a file.
All his words
A journalist or a broker?— Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) January 17, 2021
Mahua Moitra, TMC MP
Nation Needs to Know:
Transcript of whatsap chats shows clearly Government gave prior information about both Balakot strikes & abolishing Article 370 to tv anchorWhat is going on? Am I the only one who thinks ModiShah owe us answers? https://t.co/4aKIEVq3hZ
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) January 17, 2021
