India’s veteran journalist, Karan Thapar, faces blistering backlash in India after the broadcast of his interview with Pakistan’s national security advisor Dr. Moeed Yusuf yesterday. Dr.Yusuf’s explicit remarks against New Delhi have caused a tumult across India, as observers and nationalists took to social media to slam the Indian journalist.
Thapar had interviewed Yusuf on behalf of India’s acclaimed media outlet, The Wire on Tuesday. While speaking with Thapar, Dr. Yusuf specifically pointed out the role of India’s intelligence agency in creating unrest in Pakistan.
Read more: Is Moeed Yusuf’s interview with Karan Thapar a rebuttal to Nawaz’s talk with Cyril Almeida?
Dr.Yusuf in reaction to his charged up interview. The nationalist have branded him as ‘anti-India Jihadi’ on social media. Meanwhile, accusations of treachery have been levelled against the Indian journalist, the team of media outlet, and even his colleagues working in other media houses.
Moeed Yusuf is an established anti-India Jihadi. Why did Karan Thapar provide him a platform? All his friends in India, including working in JNU and in different Indian think tanks need to be investigated by the security agencies. https://t.co/vqIZIYqZgD
— Rajiv Nayan (@rajivnayanidsa) October 13, 2020
An Indian user wrote: “Moeed Yusuf is an established anti-India Jihadi. Why did Karan Thapar provide him a platform? All his friends in India, including working in JNU and in different Indian think tanks need to be investigated by the security agencies.”
Indian academician, Amitabh Mattoo, said: “I would like to know who, if anyone, in the GOI was asked to send messages to Islamabad that New Delhi wanted talks? Need to clarify this immediately,” in his tweet.
Read more: Kashmiris must be party to any solution to Kashmir, Moeed Yusuf tells India
Another Indian Twitter user said: “First, why is the Indian media so enamoured by Pakistan and keep going to them for interviews and legitimising their madness? Second and most importantly, why does Karan Thapar insist on wearing this bow tie, even in 2020? Angrezon ki zamaane ki jailor ka types!”
Karan Thapar started what Arnab Goswami perfected & what Nidhi (amateurly) does only to the right – interrupt their guests incessantly. But two win awards, one gets given the affectionate title “interruptor in chief”. The other they claim is “not a journalist”. Go figure
— Abhijit Iyer-Mitra (@Iyervval) October 14, 2020
Meanwhile, Moeed Yusuf has been garnering praise in Pakistan for courageously defending the case of Pakistan globally.