A mob of more than 100 people attacked the offices, studios and employees of TV Today Network in central Delhi on Friday. The assault came after the channel telecast a sting operation on an alleged plot to assassinate vice-president Hamid Ansari.
The mob was angry over a telecast by Headlines Today channel that purportedly showed certain RSS functionaries planning to attack the vice-president. The discussion was captured on a hidden camera.
About 100 attackers, believed to be Sangh Parivar (RSS and its affiliated outfits) members entered the TV Today Network office and broke furniture and attacked at least one cameraperson. Police were called in to disperse the mob.
The latest attack and the sting operation aired by the television channel have once more put the focus on suspected Hindu terrorist activities. “The recent revelations regarding the involvement of the Sangh Parivar in the Malegaon and Ajmer blasts have been shocking,” said Jayanthi Natarajan, Congress spokesperson. She asked the Bharatiya Janata Party, the RSS’s political wing, to come clean on the issue.
Incidentally, the mob attack came minutes after the channel aired Jayanthi’s statements, which were made at a press briefing.
Earlier, on Thursday, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh had spoken about the RSS’ links to terror activities. “The people arrested in connection with these cases have themselves disclosed ISI links of one of the RSS functionaries. I do not wish to allege that all RSS men are involved in terror acts but there are certain elements within the RSS that are indulging in it,” he told reporters.
BJP leaders have always refuted charges of Hindu outfits being linked to acts of terror. For instance, when the late Maharashtra anti-terrorism squad chief Hemant Karkare had arrested Sadhvi Pragnya Thakur for her alleged role in the Malegaon blasts in late 2008, senior BJP leader LK Advani had strongly criticised Karkare.
The police are currently investigating a number of cases in which the involvement of radical Hindu outfits such as the Ram Sene is suspected. The Congress is now insisting that the different cases be coordinated to help the probe.
