Bhairavi Singh, a correspondent with NDTV was seemingly heckled by members of the crowd who attended the March for India rally organized by Anupam Kher on Saturday. The reporter has accused the participants in the march of abusing her and physically pushing her while she was reporting.
Here are her tweets –
First was called a prostitute, heckled, chased just for saying that the Indian creative world is divided on this issue @AnupamPkher
— Bhairavi Singh (@Bhairavi_NDTV) November 7, 2015
Being proud Hindu means terrorising anyone who says anything @AnupamPkher I was abused, heckled, pushed by educated people and a mob
— Bhairavi Singh (@Bhairavi_NDTV) November 7, 2015
Now of course being terrorised on Twitter as well... @AnupamPkher just for giving my point of view !
— Bhairavi Singh (@Bhairavi_NDTV) November 7, 2015NDTV reports
The police had to rescue an NDTV reporter and crew today after people protesting against those returning awards over "rising intolerance", surrounded and heckled them during a march led by actor Anupam Kher and director Madhur Bhandarkar.
Angry protesters surrounded NDTV's Bhairavi Singh, who was reporting on the march to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, and verbally abused her. The reporter and her crew were also pushed around and slogans were raised before a police team managed to intervene and escort her to safety.
Protesters accused the media of politically motivated and biased reporting, alleging that they had encouraged the swirling national debate on intolerance after dozens of public intellectuals gave up their honours criticising the Central government.
A video was also tweeted out by AAP member Ankit Lal, in which the visibly upset NDTV reporter is seen being protected by police personnel, other members of the crowd and other journalists. At least two men can be spotted heckling her.
.@ndtv's female reporter gheraoed and harangued during #MarchForIndia. Is this tolerance? #Shameful pic.twitter.com/i1QzRMeS7J
— Ankit Lal (@ankitlal) November 7, 2015
Meanwhile, Aditya Raj Kaul of Times Now tweeted saying a journalist present at the venue asked ‘unethical’ questions to the members of the protest.
Ethics don't allow a reporter ask anyone holding national flag at Rashtrapati Bhawan whether he was paid to come for #IndiaIsTolerant March.
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) November 7, 2015There was speculation that such questions were asked by the NDTV reporter, however we do not know for sure at this stage. However, on being confronted by NDTV's Sreenivasan Jain, Aditya tweeted this.
@SreenivasanJain Did I name any journalist? Imaginary accusation by a reporter. Read Vasu: https://t.co/9LEEedp0t6 https://t.co/O0R4IFPNSt
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) November 7, 2015Some hours after the story was first published, more details emerged about the woman in the photo. Giti Thadani tweeted on Saturday evening, claiming that Singh had alleged participants who turned up had been paid. Singh also responded to these allegations.
real journalism is to ask pple why they came instd of asking how much money they were paid - insult #MarchForIndia
— Giti Thadani (@gitithadani) November 7, 2015
ndtv journalist called me a 54yr old woman artist a goonda of Modi #MarchForIndia #shamendtv
— Giti Thadani (@gitithadani) November 7, 2015
no other journalist said all people there were modigoondas or asked if we were paid 2 come #MarchForIndia
— Giti Thadani (@gitithadani) November 7, 2015In response, Singh said
Did not ask anyone if they were paid to be there! But attacked & called a paid journalist. Seems offence is the best defence
— Bhairavi Singh (@Bhairavi_NDTV) November 7, 2015
Just as I'm being asked to prove I everything... is their evidence that I said "are you paid to be here"-hate trollers will stop at nothing
— Bhairavi Singh (@Bhairavi_NDTV) November 8, 2015Actor Anupam Kher had the last word on it, recalling the incident with Rajdeep Sardesai in New York City
Friends! A senior journalist getting violent with public outside Madison Square in NY is a not an act of Tolerance.:) #IndiaIsTolerant
— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPkher) November 7, 2015An online blame-game has begun among those who support the reporters and others who accused her of asking ‘wrong’ questions.
'Tolerant India' this ? @AnupamPkher . What a shame. Stay strong @Bhairavi_NDTV https://t.co/DmH37nUL26
— Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) November 7, 2015
Ma'am, I don't know you but I want to say I appreciate your courage. Not many in our profession have it any more. https://t.co/d6nvaV2cOJ
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) November 7, 2015
Will @AnupamPkher n co apologize to NDTV reporter @Bhairavi_NDTV for mistreating her in their march?
— nikhil wagle (@waglenikhil) November 7, 2015The iconic image of 'tolerance' from today's 'peace' march. So telling. #Intolerant Sarkar pic.twitter.com/oRh1flVQKv
— Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) November 7, 2015
Abusing and heckling journalists at "tolerance" march?? https://t.co/y1ZBoBojrV
— Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) November 7, 2015
Others question her integrity,
@jnsbmi @vikramchandra @Bhairavi_NDTV she insulted this lady & nobody gheraoed https://t.co/VjMEiYdQYJ why lie ? pic.twitter.com/WMB6g1Jitv
— Kailash Wagh (@kailashwg) November 7, 2015
If a few lumpen elements were guilty of abusing @Bhairavi_NDTV, she is guilty of abusing & defaming an entire religion. Just like wapsi-gang
— ... (@bwoyblunder) November 7, 2015