Indian journalist Arnab Goswami is no stranger to controversies and is known for his hyper-sensationalist reporting and lack of concerns for media ethics. Arnab’s recent fake statement probably reflects India’s nefarious propaganda against Pakistan.
Arnab Goswami was left red-faced when his “intelligence” regarding Pakistan Army’s alleged presence in Afghanistan’s Panjshir valley backfired, becoming the fodder of countless memes on Pakistani as well as Indian Twitter space.
What actually happened?
Goswami made the faux pas when he claimed that Pakistan Army officers were staying on the fifth floor of the luxury Serena Hotel in Kabul — apparently to support the Taliban in their fight against resistance fighters in Panjshir.
In his programme ‘The Debate’ on Republic World TV channel last week, Goswami had invited PTI spokesperson Abdul Samad Yaqoob — to represent Pakistan — in a discussion on what the channel termed a “big split” within the Taliban.
When Yaqoob challenged the claims Goswami had attributed to his sources in Afghanistan, the anchor went on the defence and claimed that his information had proven to be true, including that the resistance fighters in Panjshir had not given up and Pakistani forces were “retreating” from the valley.
Goswami then addressed Yaqoob and said: “You go and check today on the fifth floor of the Serena Hotel, I am telling you, please check, fifth floor of the Serena Hotel in Kabul, how many Pakistani army officers are there?”
He then doubled down on his claim, saying he could even provide the room numbers of the Pakistani officers. “I can also maybe tell you what they ordered for dinner so don’t question my intelligence sources,” he continued. “We’ve got all our aerial surveillance on you people.”
The anchor’s claim was quickly exposed, however, because the Serena Hotel in Kabul only has two floors — not five. A receptionist at the Serena Hotel confirmed to Geo.tv that the property has only two floors.
A day later, Yaqoob was back on Goswami’s programme and countered the anchor’s claim by saying, “What I got to know from my sources is that Serena has only two floors.” A sheepish look hidden behind forced laughter was Goswami’s only response.
The trolling
After the amusing exchange went viral, netizens from Pakistan and India alike called out Goswami for making false claims, with the hashtags #ArnabGoswami and #ISIon5thFloor attracting thousands of tweets.
Dear #ArnabGoswami this is Sarena hotel Kabul I am still unable to find out fifth floor ? ???????? pic.twitter.com/9LgOj5BV4u
— Vasundhra Chauhan (@Dilsedesh) September 19, 2021
5th floor according to sources ????????#ISIon5thFloor pic.twitter.com/Nww7OGagJg
— گاما گرین ???? (@SunniTig3r) September 19, 2021
Indian fake news media
Indian Journalism is plagued by sensationalism and wrong reporting. Rather than making people aware of the on goings around the world, it focuses on presenting an exaggerated, distorted and perverted version of the most absurd an insignificant events.
Nowadays the Indian media has stooped to the lowest ebb of yellow journalism with its reporting of fake, fabricated and complete fictitious news. Indian journalists have forgotten the basic principles of journalism.
The Indian media has no such consideration and continues the persistent barrage of attacks against Pakistan, undermining its own professional ethics and credibility.
It is the foremost principle of journalism to always seek the truth and report the facts. A journalist should always strive for accuracy, give all the relevant facts, and ensure they have checked.
Journalists should be independent voices and work on behalf of vested interests or conflict of interest but often in the quest for rating and popularity, the media should not forget its basic principles.
