Debate Turns Drama: BJP’s Nupur Sharma Walks Out, Arnab Silenced

Primetime television debates JNU fracas but fails to make a point.

Fracas over Jawaharlal Nehru University issue continues. (Photo: PTI)

Only some times do you find a debate where Arnab has been silenced by the panelists of the Newshour on Times Now.

Discussing the row over pro-Afzal guru meetings in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), everyone played the blame game. The BJP and Congress accused the Left parties for being nothing short of anti-Indian. The Left lashed out right back at them for supporting separatists parties for power.

Sudhanshu Trivedi, representing the BJP, said anybody who is taking Afzal Guru’s side directly or indirectly is not showing disrespect towards the Supreme Court.

Justifying the arrest of JNU Students’ Union President Kanhaiya Kumar, ABVP senior leader Gaurav Jha, said Kumar was raising anti-India slogans in the college and said he was ready to testify.

Time and again, the panelists blamed each other. Arnab kept trying to bring them back to the point. The point being: irrespective of political differences, all party must unite against divisive forces. 

BJP’s Nupur Sharma Walks Out For Personal Attack

BJP spokesperson and leader Nupur Sharma on Friday walked out of CNN-IBN’s debate on the issue.

Nupur Sharma was former president of Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) and former member of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). She accused the moderator, Zakka Jacob of getting personal in his attack.

Barring the walking-out of Nupur Sharma, the debate did not make many noteworthy points, partly because of an audio problem. Almost everything that Congress Naseer Hussain said got lost, thanks to that glitch. It’s important to note that Hussain too was the former JNU-SU president and expectantly stood by the university.

The debate “Should we relook at 124 A of IPC which stands for sedition?” could have had solid argument if lawyer-cum-politician Nupur Sharma had stayed on.