The newly formed INDIA alliance took a surprising decision on Thursday as they decided that INDIA parties will not send its representatives on the show of 14 News anchors. The decision is taken by the coordinate committee of the alliance and they also released the name list of the following anchors: 

Aditi Tyagi (Bharat Express), Aman Chopra (Network 18), Amish Devgan (News18), Anand Narasimhan (CNN-News18), Anand Narasimhan (CNN-News18), Arnab Goswami (Republic TV), Ashok Shrivastav (DD News), Chitra Tripathi (AajTak), Gaurav Sawant (AajTak), Navika Kumar (Times Now/Times Now Navbharat), Prachi Parashar (India TV), Rubika Liyaquat (Bharat 24), Shiv Aroor (AajTak), Sudhir Chaudhary (AajTak), Sushant Sinha (Times Now Navbharat). 

The meeting was held at the New Delhi residence of Sharad Pawar, President of the National Congress Party. A war of words between the News anchors and the members of the media coordinate committee of the INDIA group has started on Twitter. Political experts also expressed their views on the matter, some are condemning the decision while others are playing a safe game by calling the decision a ‘matter of choice’.  

 KC Venugopal and Pawan Khera made the official announcement from the Congress party they said the hate-filled narrative of these reporters is a serious threat to Bharat, they are decimating the harmony and peace of the nation, and they divide the unitedhood of India. In a tweet posted by the leaders of the grand old party, “The coordinating committee ordered the media sub-group to decide the names of the anchors for whose programs no party in INDIA would send its representatives. The decision is made with a heavy heart. We are not against any of these anchors. We don’t hate any of these anchors. But we love our country more. We know India better than anyone else.” 

In reply to the tweets of politicians Aditi Tyagi, Rubika Liyaquat, and Sudhir Chaudhary are the journalists who replied to the comments. Aditi Tyagi wrote in a tweet, “I am the first one in the list of those who ask questions for India, Tyagi’s don’t fear.”  

Rubika Liyaquat said, “They called it denial, we called it fear. It’s called running away from questions, not boycotting journalists. You tend to say yes to men. I didn’t do it before, I won’t do it. The future. Courage is denied by those leaders who earn hate in the business of love…”

Reacting to the list, AajTak anchor Sudhir Chaudhary said, “INDIA Union published a list of journalists who refused to become ‘Charan Chumbak’ (bootlaces). Now they have been boycotted. Now what response will the Indian media give it.” 

Netizens are also expressing their opinions on social media. Some said that curtailing the freedom of media has been the hobby of the Congress party since the times of Independence.  28 parties are afraid of 14 parties, Ashok Shrivastav posted on X.