Friday, November 15, 2013
Barkha Dutt v/s Arvind Kejriwal – who is
communal between the two?
In a NDTV interview with Arvind Kejriwal, on her program,
the Buck Stops Here, the usually cheerful and poised Barkha Dutt pounced on
Kejriwal, accusing him of playing communal politics by meeting with the Muslim
cleric Maulana Tawqir who is member of a 100-ulama committee that deliberates
and issues guidelines/advisories to Muslims in fatwas and a fatwa has been
issued against Taslima Nasrin, a Bangladeshi citizen and a pet of the Left Liberals.
Taslima raised a storm, thus clearly meddling in the internal affairs of India,
especially in a very sensitive area of India's democratic elections.
Kejriwal responded, first by explaining that he was not
aware of any such antecedent of the Maulana when he met him; though in one of
his speeches, Maulana Tauqir has come out to be very secular, very inclusive,
very peaceful. Arvind promised to give Barkha a CD of Maulana’s speech and
asked her to telecast that positive side of people, rather going always for
negatives.
Kejriwal further countered against the media that he has been
going around to all religious places. He visited temples. Media never objected.
He visited gurdwaras. Media never balked. He visited churches. Media hardly
took notice. However, as soon as he visited a Dargah and met a Muslim cleric,
all hell broke loose with the media.
Now, let the people decide, who is communal – media or Kejriwal?
Needless to add, Barkha Dutt’s face turned white.
Ghulam Muhammed, Mumbai
