Who is responsible for India's confused ... PG 05 << VIEWS & VISION OF CITY Volume: 12, Issue: 251 THURSDAY, JUNE 03, 2021, MUMBAI 12 Pages, ₹2 /- RNI No. MAHENG/2009/29332 www.afternoonvoice.com 'Drishti' ani 'Kon' Loksatta editor Girish Kuber staged an interview to defame BJP leader? “I was “Whatever Raj Thackeray “MLA Atul “The way Girish Kuber is heading the Editorial the state said about me is a brutal lie. Bhatkhalkar, not department of Loksatta and his writings in recent vice In 2009, BJP did not give me only criticized times is absolutely not suited to the journalistic president a ticket, but later on BJP Kuber but also standards. He is doing agenda-driven reporting of MNS leader Late Gopinath Munde protested against by frequently attacking BJP and its leaders, this during publicly regretted the same the book. Keeping is nothing but due to political inclination. His that time. Raj by stating that it was a wrong decision by this in mind, Bhatkhalkar was biased journalism is one-sided and all that he is doing is for Saheb told me that BJP. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena had strategically dragged for 2009’s his own political aspirations." offered me a ticket but I refused it. Sadly, so-called incident in Raj since BJP denied - Madhav Bhandari, Vice President of BJP Maharashtra Atul Bhatkhalkar's MNS was not getting a suitable candidate Thackeray's interview now in ticket, he offered in those days, you can check 2009’s 2021. The vendetta is quite "Girish Kuber is Uddhav Thackeray's man, there him the same from Kandivali east candidate list of MNS, in visible, though we all can read is no doubt in it. He and Uddhav have a mutual MNS, which Atul the first two lists, there was no mention of Girish Kuber tie-up. In this particular interview I don’t think refused." Kandivali east. I can never leave BJP or and see how anti-Modi Girish has plotted anything, because Raj even remotely think of leaving the party." he is.” Thackeray is a very unpredictable speaker, he - Avadhut Wagh, speaks whatever comes to his mind and this could Media Panelist - Atul Bhatkhalkar, - Sambhaji Patil Nilangekar, be a coincidence. In search of political opportunities, calling of Maharashtra BJP MLA of Maharashtra BJP BJP, MLA from Nilanga constituency different politicians and asking for a ticket is not surprising.Raj Dr. Vaidehi Taman Thackeray is assumed to be close to Sharad Pawar because in the afternoon_voice election. There was another leader Lokhande who last assembly elections he tirelessly attacked BJP and Narendra had also come to me for a ticket. I had called Nitin Modi, but right now he is working parallelly with BJP.” Gadkari to inform about the unrest within his party ditor Girish Kuber’s virtual interview 'Drishti - Anil Thatte, Senior Journalist ani Kon' organized by Loksatta, has not gone leaders." Raj further said, "I told both of them, 'stay well with the state BJP leaders. On 1st June, where you are, this is the oldest political party and E you have grown with it, don’t be crazy just because “Renaissance State, a book by a senior journalist, Raj Thackeray, the President of Maharashtra which tracks the state’s history from the times of you are angry'”. Navnirman Sena appeared in an interview and made the Satavahanas. He made all unproven claims "This is how it happens. Even in the early days of many sensational statements on state politics. about Chhatrapati Sambhaji, warrior king and son Shiv Sena, many people left. When they leave, they When asked about switching the loyalties by his of Chhatrapati Shivaji. For example, he has are alone," said Thackeray. party workers Raj in the interview said, "In the face written that Chhatrapati Sambhaji killed queen of every election, many leaders are seen moving to Bhandari further said, "Atul Bhatkhalkar is Soyarabai Bhosale, one of the wives of Chhatrapati Shivaji. She another party. Let me tell you the story of the 2009 among the senior leaders of BJP, his work within the was Sambhaji’s stepmother. However, according to many, this Assembly elections. BJP's Atul Bhatkhalkar had assembly and in his constituency is known to the claim finds no mention in historical documents.” come to me to ask for a ticket for the Assembly CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 - Vinayak Dinkar Mohidekar Indian Journalist turned politicians - some lost in time, some left with nothing, few made it to peak oliticians and Media are known for friends with benefits. There Sena Mouthpiece are active in state politics. Sanjay Nirupam is with are two extreme sides of journalism and media houses these days, Samna and Shiv Sena, whereas Nirupam is with Congress and he quit Pthey are totally anti of some political party or pro to some but Dopahar Ka Saamana long back. Somewhere being in politics, their barely any neutral journalists. Political ambitions of media house owners journalism makes them bonded. and editors are not new to Indian politics. The relationship between some Vijay Darda was Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Lokmat while media owners and the Rajya Sabha has stretched over longer time spans. serving three terms in the Rajya Sabha. Subhash Chandra of Zee also Hindustan Times proprietor KK Birla was a Rajya Sabha MP for 18 years played his innings and given how entrenched his media house is with the while his daughter Shobhana Bhartia was also an MP more recently. ruling BJP, it could be a long one. Media houses think their empires can Narendra Mohan Gupta and Mahendra Mohan Gupta of Jagran benefit from closeness to those in power. Political parties think a friendly Prakashan, which publishes Dainik Jagran, managed nominations from media realm is useful for their kingdom. It’s all barter, give and take at the the BJP and the Samajwadi Party. end of the day. Dr.Vaidehi Sanjay Raut to Sanjay Nirupam, both the editors of Saamana, Shiv CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 afternoonvoice.com/editorial [email protected] afternoon_voice afternoonvoicenews THURSDAY, JUNE 03, 2021 Editoritis AFTERNOON VOICE, MUMBAI 02 Indian Journalist turned politicians - some lost in time, some left with nothing, few made it to peak << PAGE 1 him with an offer in 2014. He was working in Jharkhand Observer, which he left as its editor. He then joined the at the time but was nominated for a seat in Bihar. He Hindustan Times as executive editor. He was Pramod Navalkar began his career as a journalist and decided he was ready to make the switch to politics. It nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 2003 and got another commentator while he was still a college student. In took the paper’s owners close to two years to hire a term as a BJP MP from Madhya Pradesh in June 2010. 1955, he began writing a weekly column titled replacement, so there was a period when Harivansh was Shazia Ilmi, a television journalist and anchor with Bhatkyaachee Bhramanti ("Man About Town") in the both editor and MP. But his name was removed as chief Star News, Ilmi spent 15 years in the field of television Marathi daily Navshakti. The column, which dealt with editor from the print line of the paper two months after he news and documentary production joined the Aam political, social and cultural issues, ran continuously for took oath as MP. Aadmi Party. However, she lost the assembly as well as 52 years without a break and ended only with his death. Whatever great journalism you do, the system does not the Lok Sabha election she fought on the AAP ticket. She This consistency earned him a mention in the Guinness change. Arun Shourie, editor of the Indian Express and resigned from the AAP after a tussle with the party's Book of World Records for the longest-running op-ed The Times of India joined BJP and became Minister of leadership in 2014. She joined the BJP on January 16, column in the world. Navalkar came into politics and Communications and Information Technology in the 2015. Now she has become irrelevant to both politics and became a prominent face of Shiv Sena and his writing too Vajpayee Ministry. Later on, he lost credibility and journalism. changed its direction. relevance in politics. Ashutosh, TV news anchor first on Aaj Tak and later on Every time a journalist or a media owner is nominated The exchange between journalists and politics has a IBN7, joined the AAP in 2014, contested the Lok Sabha to the Rajya Sabha, it evokes a passing stretch of hand- long and vibrant history. Pritish Nandy was given a Rajya polls but lost. And gradually he left politics and switched wringing over journalistic independence. But look closer Sabha nomination by Thackeray's Shiv Sena, Rajiv to journalism with his own news portal. Manish Sisodia, and you find that it is more a case of confirming an Gandhi persuaded MJ Akbar to fight a Lok Sabha now Delhi's deputy chief minister started his career as a ideological or political affiliation that was already there election on a Congress ticket, recently he joined BJP and journalist from Pilkhuwa near Delhi after completing a or of a professional journalist who for her/his own he had to resign on a humiliating note. Cho Ramaswamy diploma in journalism from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. He reasons is ready to move into politics for their higher was a Rajya Sabha MP nominated by the BJP, as was worked as a documentary filmmaker and a TV aspirations. Ranchi Express owner-editor Ajay Maroo. newsreader from 1997 to 2005. Loksatta editor Kumar Ketkar had to serve Congress Rajeev Shukla, the Congress leader had been a Ashish Khetan is known for his investigative for 15 years with his editorials.