Opinion Tejpal’s glasshouse

People in glass houses should not throw stones at others.

November 28, 2013 12:38 AM IST First published on: Nov 28, 2013 at 12:38 AM IST

Both the Organiser and Panchjanya have commented on the sexual assault charges against Tarun Tejpal,editor-in-chief of Tehelka,which had shot to prominence after its exposes of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. A famous saying goes,People in glass houses should not throw stones at others. This has been vigorously reminded by a lady journalist of Tehelka about the misjudged behaviour of her boss,Tarun Tejpal, says the editorial in the Organiser.

It calls Tejpal a representative of the intellectual school of convenience with a Left ideological core. A confession of a bad lapse of judgement in a drunken state by the self-proclaimed protector of equity and justice elucidates the accepted wisdom at the back of organising such a fest. The so-called Left thinking,non-democratic at its core,is absolutely fine with such fearless behaviour. As it involves Tehelka,I feel atonement and self-recusing also reflects the arrogance and shameless intellectual school of convenience Tejpal represents, the editorial says,asserting that the incident has also exposed the hypocrisy of Tehelkas editor and self-proclaimed protector of womens rights,Shoma Chaudhary.

The editorial in Panchjanya claims that the developments have exposed the venomous face of Tejpal,citing allegations of onesided journalism. Both editorials,however,use Tehelkas loss of face as a warning for the credibility of the fourth pillar of democracy and values it stands for,suggesting that the Tejpal episode has exposed the adventurous and shameless cabal within the media.

AAP STUNG

Both Sangh Parivar mouthpieces have also reported the sting operations purportedly exposing the weak moral fibre of the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Partys (AAP) candidates for the Delhi assembly elections. A letter written by Anna Hazare to the Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal regarding the misuse of funds collected in the movement against corruption and [the subsequent expose regarding his candidates agreeing to accept money for [the party has proved that political opportunism and virus of corruption [are deeply ingrained, highlights the cover story in the Organiser.

The editorial in Panchjanya refers to the sting operations conducted by a website against AAP candidates to assert that it has broken the hearts of their sympathisers,who considered them synonymous with honesty. The editorial equates the AAPs internal inquiry to Tehelkas ploy to shield Tejpal by a self-imposed atonement. The editorial highlights the irony that sting operations,which used to be Tehelkas hallmark,have stung Kejriwal,while Tejpal faces allegations,something Kejriwal used to be the master of.

UP & SC

Both weeklies hail and highlight the Supreme Courts directive restraining the SP government in Uttar Pradesh from providing rehabilitation to Muslim victims of the Muzaffarnagar riots. While the report voices apprehensions against the pro-Muslim agencies of the UP government,it also trains its gun on the Congress for being an example of the divide-and-rule policy. The Jat Sabha (the forum of the Jat people) knocked on the door of the Supreme Court as the Samajwadi Party government led by Akhilesh Yadav is discriminating… in an appeasement game connected to Muslim vote-bank politics. In this development,the actual role of Samajwadi Party has clearly been exposed. The Jat Sabha has been demanding an impartial probe by an independent agency other than the pro-Muslim agencies of Uttar Pradesh government, says an article in the Organiser.

Compiled by Ravish Tiwari