New Delhi: It looks like the controversy kicked up by executive editor of India Today and Aaj Tak, journalist Anjana Om Kashyap has not yet died down as the #shameonanjanaomkashyap is still one of the top trending hashtags on Twitter.
It can be recalled that Anjana Om Kashyap, while covering the encephalitis outbreak in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur which has killed over 100 children, barged into the ICU of Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital and shouted at a junior doctor. He began almost heckling the doctor, shooting questions at him about the hospital’s infrastructural facilities.
A clip of this incident went viral and drew the collective ire of the netizens who began shaming the seasoned journalist for her actions.
The journalist later tweeted an explanation of her actions writing, “The truth of mismanagement and indifference in these hospitals had to be brought out.”
This, however, didn’t sit well with the netizens, one of whom told her to stop defending herself and apologise to the doctor. They advised her to question the management of the hospital instead.
“In any sane country, Anjana Om Kashyap would have been arrested immediately for heckling the doctors and disrupting them from their work and hence causing the death of kids!! Dear Indian Medical Association, Where are you?? Slept off??,” one Twitter user asked, attaching a screenshot of the Indian Penal Code pertaining to disruption of work in the hospital.
#shameonanjanaomkashyap
In any sane country, Anjana Om Kashyap would have been arrested immediately for heckling the doctors and disrupting them from their work and hence causing the death of kids!!Dear Indian Medical Association, Where are you?? Slept off?? pic.twitter.com/087ulHaHUl
— Sanju Kumar (@sanju495) June 20, 2019
Some others pointed out to Anjana’s past, where she was unable to become a doctor.
Really…? What kind of person are you…? Why the hell you guys are often blaming doctors. #ulteriormotive #shameonanjanaomkashyap pic.twitter.com/UmktQPIUsj
— Dhaya (@Drdhaya8004) June 20, 2019
#shameonanjanaomkashyap
Frustrated & failed pre medical test student.(Sutro Se pata Chala). pic.twitter.com/GQNnS6TYaf— I am indian (@VidyadharTripa4) June 20, 2019
Another user criticised the journalist for “making a mockery of free speech rights”.
#shameonanjanaomkashyap #shamelessjournalism
These guys are making a mockery of free speech rights. No sense of empathy or sensitivity towards patients and overworked & underpaid hospital staff. https://t.co/ZM6DC7hy5R— Vinit Vekaria (@VinitVekaria) June 20, 2019
Yet another Twitter user suggested a boycott of the Aaj Tak TV news channel.
If we can boycott sony for kapil sharma show ..why shouldn’t we boycott aajtak for this cowardice over-enthusiastic journalist #shameonanjanaomkashyap #boycottAAJTAK pic.twitter.com/kMENGLWLn6
— Ankit (@itsAn_kit) June 20, 2019
In a sea of negativity, however, there was one Twitter user who spoke in favour of the journalists writing, “#ShameOnAnjanaOmKashyap? Like really? May be, she did cross the line but if not for her, we wouldn’t even know about the state of these so-called ICUs where dying children were lying on the floor while Babus and Mantris feast on Kachoris. Classical case of shooting the messenger. (sic)”
#ShameOnAnjanaOmKashyap? Like really? May be, she did cross the line but if not for her, we wouldn’t even know about the state of these so-called ICUs where dying children were lying on the floor while Babus and Mantris feast on Kachoris. Classical case of shooting the messenger.
— Sonam Mahajan (@AsYouNotWish) June 20, 2019
