Soon after Republic Bharat, Hindi news channel of Republic TV, was fined 20,000 pounds (roughly Rs 19.73 lakh) by United Kingdom’s communications regulator Office of Communications on December 22, for broadcasting content that included ‘hate speech’, the journalist has apologised 280 times to the regulator.
Arnab Goswami is now being compared with Hindutva icon Savarkar, who wrote letters to the British government for his release. Goswami aired an apology 280 times on its channel in the UK during all times of the day from February 26, 2020, to April 9, 2020.
The UK Broadcast regulator criticised views expressed by Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami in the channel’s ‘Poochta Hai Bharat’ programme aired on September 6, 2019, and mentioned that some guests violated its broadcasting norms.
The programme was related to India’s Chandrayaan 2 spacecraft mission to the moon and ‘involved a comparison of India’s space exploration and technological advancements compared to Pakistan, and Pakistan’s alleged terrorist activities against Indian targets,’ the release noted.
The apology broadcast by Goswami’s TV channel, according to Ofcom, read, ‘The communications regulator, the Office of Communications, post-viewing the September 6, 2019 episode of Poochta Hai Bharat, found that some offensive words were used in a program which may have disturbed the viewers. Republic Media Network apologizes if those words hurt any religion or particular person.’
The Office of Communication said that the content aired by the Hindi news channel ‘amounted to hate speech against Pakistani people and derogatory and abusive treatment of Pakistani people’.
The release mentioned that the guests and Goswami said: ‘Their scientists, doctors, their leaders, politicians all are terrorists. Even their sports people. Every child is a terrorist over there. Every child is a terrorist. You are dealing with a terrorist entity’.
The UK regulator also highlighted remarks made by ‘General Sinha’, one of the guests in the panel, who referred to people of Pakistan as ‘beggars’ and warned of an attack on the nation.
It also added that the use of the term ‘Paki’, which it said was racist and unacceptable to the UK audience.
Several netizens took to Twitter to share their reactions.
It’s amusing that even as #ArnabGoswami quietly apologised 280 times, at all hrs of the day and night, for spreading his vile bile, as instructed by the UK regulator, propagandists & trolls are spinning his surrender as a great act of patriotism & defiance by their hero! pic.twitter.com/spcjTtoiXv
— Nikhil J Alva (@njalva) December 23, 2020
Lol. So Bjp worker Arnab has already apologised multiple times in Britain. How very Savarkar#ArnabGoswami#RepublicTV #RepublicBharat pic.twitter.com/OtV6U0xqOq#ThooktaHaiBharat
— Nighah Ban (@BanNighah) December 23, 2020
Savarkar apologised to the British 5 times, BJP calls him veer.Republic Bharat and Arnab Goswami apologised to the British 280 times, what should they call him? Mahaveer Goswami? ParamVeer Goswami? #ArnabGoswami #ThooktaHaiBharat pic.twitter.com/JyAqqRX24X
— Samar (@Samar_Anarya) December 23, 2020
Arnab Goswami apologized 280 times between 26 Feb 2020 – 9 April 2020 to UK regulator company for ‘Hate Contents’ in his episode.Had Savarkar been alive, he would’ve committed suicide for breaking his record.#ThooktaHaiBharat #ThooktaHainUK
— Anamika Singh (@iAnnuSingh) December 23, 2020
Arnab Goswami apologised to Ofcom 280 times. That’s 274 more than British bootlicker Savarkar.Perfect way of keeping alive age old traditions. pic.twitter.com/m9CqPbCM2I
— சட்டப்படி சாதிப்போம் (@Sattapadis) December 23, 2020
Also Read: UK Broadcast Regulator Slaps £20,000 Fine On Republic Bharat For ‘Promoting Hatred’
