A clip of a debate held on the state-owned DD News has been widely shared on social media, showing a heated exchange between news anchor Ashok Shrivastav and Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) spokesperson Nasir Lone.
In the viral video, the DD News anchor can be seen lashing out at the JKNC spokesperson after he allegedly said, “What would you do if I bring a Pakistani flag into the studio?”
Fuming over his remarks, Ashok Shrivastav responded, “Himmat hai to la kar dikhaiye. Aap ke baap me dum nahi hai ki Pakistan ka jhanda yahan lekar aa jayenge. (If you have the courage, then bring it here. Your father doesn’t have the guts to bring the Pakistan flag here.)”
पाकिस्तान का झंडा लेकर स्टूडियो में लेकर आए तो जूते मारकर बाहर निकाल दूंगा। घर पर पाकिस्तानी झंडा फहराया तो कश्मीर की पुलिस निबटेगी।
JKNC के प्रवक्ता को एंकर अशोक श्रीवास्तव ने चुनौती दी। pic.twitter.com/47nrJLeEdI
— P.N.Rai (@PNRai1) September 3, 2024
“I’m using this language because if traitors like you try to bring the Pakistan flag here, I’ll kick you out with my shoe,” he added.
He further stated, “If you bring the flag here, you will feel it in your buttocks. The Indian police will take care of you.” The debate then went to a commercial break.
The debate took place on August 28. A day after the incident, Ashok Shrivastav apologised for losing his temper during the show in a social media post.
Anchor apologises for losing his temper
Taking to X, he wrote in Hindi, “Yesterday, during my show Do Took, the debate on Kashmir and Article 370 became quite heated, and I ended up using language and words with one of the panelists that I shouldn’t have used. That panelist said to me, ‘What will you do if we bring the Pakistani flag into your studio?’ At that, I lost my temper. As a journalist and public broadcaster, I should have controlled my anger and language, but I failed to do so. I deeply regret this and am extremely sorry.”
कल मेरे कार्यक्रम #DoTook में कश्मीर और 370 पर हुई बहस कुछ ज्यादा ही तीखी हो गई और मैंने एक पेनालिस्ट के साथ ऐसी भाषा और ऐसे शब्दों का प्रयोग कर दिया जो मुझे नहीं करना चाहिए था।
उस पैनलिस्ट ने मुझे कहा कि “आपके स्टूडियो में पाकिस्तानी झंडा लेकर आ जायेंगे तो क्या कर लोगे”, इस पर…
— Ashok Shrivastav (@AshokShrivasta6) August 29, 2024
JKNC spokesperson in a post on X, criticised the “crass behaviour” of DD News Anchor stating, “Apparently raising Indian Flag in Kashmir before August 5, 2019 was not allowed and you were beaten to pulp for it. Misinformation, propaganda on BJP’s DD News and such crass behaviour by the anchor, when I called him out.”
The FPJ found that DD News had taken down the video of the debate from YouTube.
