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NewsFYIRajdeep vs Arnab: Anupam Kher tries to defend Arnab, leaves Twitter furious

Rajdeep Sardesai vs Arnab Goswami: Anupam Kher tries to defend Arnab Goswami, Twitter is furious

Anupam Kher, veteran actor who also has a show on Arnab Goswami's Republic TV, had a slightly heated Twitter exchange with senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai about journalists quitting on moral grounds. Here's what happened.

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Arnab Goswami, Anupam Kher, Rajdeep Sardesai
Arnab Goswami, Anupam Kher, Rajdeep Sardesai
India Today Web Desk
India Today Web Desk
New Delhi,UPDATED: Sep 21, 2017 15:16 IST

It's been two days since senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai called out Arnab Goswami, the Editor-in-Chief of Republic TV, on a lie.

Now, veteran actor Anupam Kher has come out in support of Arnab Goswami and tried to defend him. It backfired, and how!

QUICK RECAP

A video that showed Arnab Goswami delivering a speech and talking about a particular incident that happened when he was covering Gujarat riots of 2002 had gone viral again this year. The video went viral first last year.

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Arnab narrates how 'trishul-wielding' Hindutva militants attacked the car he and his colleagues were travelling in, just 50 metres from then CM of Gujarat Narendra Modi's residence. He goes on to say that the Hindutva hardliners asked Arnab and his colleagues to reveal their religions but managed to escape the tense situation by proving they were journalists using the press cards. Arnab also said that his driver, who did not have a press card, showed the enraged Hindutva militants a tattoo on his hand that said "Hey Ram" and escaped their wrath.

The incident Arnab narrated is not fiction. It really happened, except not with him.

Rajdeep Sardesai described the entire episode in his book 2014: The Election that Changed India. When the viral video came to his notice, Rajdeep Sardesai decided to set the records straight and called out his former colleague, on Twitter, for presenting the experience as his own.

As usual, Twitter was divided on the issue. Some said Arnab Goswami cannot lie, some said "he does that on a daily basis." Twitterati even trended#ArnabDidIt and re-imagined events in history as it would have happened if Arnab claimed to be responsible for it. For instance...

Yesterday morning, in a tweet, Rajdeep Sardesai asked if Arnab Goswami would resign and quit journalism if his story turned out to be false.

Quoting this tweet, Anupam Kher asked,"Nation also wants to know how many times have you resigned and quit journalism when your innumerable stories have turned out to be false?"

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Sardesai, who has locked horns with Anupam Kher during the intolerance debate, replied saying,"Well said sir. Not holier than thou at all. But some of us apologise when we make mistakes, some brazen it out, that's all."

Instead of leaving it there, Anupam Kher went on to give unsolicited advice to Sardesai. He said, "I am sure Arnab can fight his own battle. Par aap logo ne itne saal saath kaam kiya hai. Toote hue rishto ki bhi ek maryada hoti hai." (You have worked together for so long. There should be dignity even in broken friendships).

"Twitter users, however, was not pleased with Anupam Kher stepping up to defend Arnab Goswami using the done to death "what about" argument.

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