From The Wire’s Arfa to The Hindu’s Vijaita Singh: How the near-lynching of journalists they disagree with is being cheered on

Left-liberals portray themselves as ‘intellectual’, ‘tolerant’, and ‘champions of dissent’, and ‘defenders of free speech’. However, in the face of even slight criticism, the same lot gleefully supports even the near-lynching of anyone they declare an ideological adversary. A video has gone viral online showing protestors at the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar attacking and manhandling an ABP News reporter. Instead of condemning, the usual leftist suspects are cheering the attack. While the video is from early June 2026, it has regained virality online on 19th-20th July, as the CJP protest seeking Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over the NEET paper leak has intensified. The viral video shows a male ABP News reporter, who was covering the CJP protests, being surrounded by a protesting mob, who raised “Godi Media Go Back!” slogans, booed him, manhandled him, and interrupted his reporting, creating an intimidating and near-lynching situation. इसके जिम्मेदार अंजना, रूबिका, चित्रा, सुधीर जैसे लोग हैं। भुगतना फील्ड रिपोर्टर को पड़ता है। इस बहादुर रिपोर्टर की सहनशीलता को नमन है, जिन्होने सारी आवाजों को इग्नोर कर अपने Work पर फोकस रखा। pic.twitter.com/EBQkC731Qz— Sachin Gupta (@Sachingupta) June 6, 2026 As the video of CJP protestors manhandling the ABP reporter went viral online again, the left liberal media and the extended anti-BJP cabal cheered and justified the attack. Sharing the video on X on 19th July, Islamo-leftist rag The Wire’s Arfa Khanum Sherwani wrote, “It hurts to see reporters in this state. When star anchors spread hatred and Modi propaganda day and night in the studio, the junior reporter in the field has to pay the price.” Arfa’s “it hurts” remarks should not be mistaken for genuine concern but a deranged enjoyment of watching those not ideologically aligned with her getting heckled by a frenzied mob that claims to be protesting against a ‘fascist’ government. Similarly, Vijaita Singh, the Deputy Editor at The Hindu, while reacting to another video showing a journalist being heckled by CJP cockroaches, advised people to make a distinction between “hate-spewing TV news anchors/presenters/senior journalists and TV reporters, most of whom are extremely hardworking.” Singh justified the mob lynching of journalists she and her ideological cabal declare “hate-spewing”. This is blatant glorification of ‘mob justice’, which the Islamo-leftists vehemently criticise when carried out by mobs not aligned with them ideologically. Blaming media for any next event has become a familiar tactic. Journalists on the ground take the brunt of the anger simply for doing their jobs rather than following a dictated scriptwith hardly anyone taking a stand for them.#JantarMantar #CJP pic.twitter.com/LZLs2PPF4V— Indian Reporters' Diary (@reporters_diary) July 19, 2026 The social media posts by Arfa Khanum Sherwani and Vijaita Singh were not about the serious danger the non-left journalists were in, or that outrageous mob assault against journalists; it was about issuing a cleverly worded justification for the mob’s attack. Vijaita Singh has drawn sharp criticism even from the likes of Shekhar Gupta, who wrote, “No Vijeta. We can’t leave it to the mobs to decide which journalist to love or hate. All journalists, senior or not, must feel entirely safe on the job. One mob’s good ‘guy’ is another’s monster. This trend began during Anna movement, and many partisans cheered it. It was wrong then, is wrong now.” Back on 6th June, when the video of a near-assault on the ABP News reporter first surfaced online, a pro-Congress troll drew “peak satisfaction” from watching a journalist getting manhandled for simply doing his job and not outright glorifying the CJP protestors. Another ‘journalist ’, Sachin Gupta, had even insinuated that it is TV anchors like Rubkia Liyaqat, Sudhir Chaudhary, Anjana Om Kashyap, and Chitra Tripathi who should be facing near-lynching by an unruly mob instead of the ABP field reporter. It has been seen that the CJP claimed that the protest was being organised against the central government, especially the education minister, over exam irregularities and leaks; anti-national slogans of “Azadi-Azadi” were raised during the protests. Derogatory remarks were made about Hindu deities by notorious Hinduphobes like Kunal Kamra. Last month, OpIndia journalist Anurag Mishra had a similar experience at the protests when he tried to speak to the CJP supporters regarding their demands. The CJP cockroaches, who claimed to be fighting for the freedom of expression, surrounded Anurag Mishra and screeched slogans calling him “Godi Media”. Mishra had merely asked the CJP supporters why the turnout at the ground was so low while the CJP has millions of followers on social media. The CJP supporters became irritated by the question and began intimidating him and shouting at him. A few days ago, these cockroaches were abusing PM Modi for "not taking questions."Now, the same cockroaches tried to heckle @OpIndia_com reporter for asking questions, while calling him "Godi Media."He stands alone. He stands tall. And he asks questions that these… pic.twitter.com/TluAElXS04— Mr Sinha (@Mrsinha) June 6, 2026 Since the beginning of the CJP protest, numerous journalists have been nearly assaulted by the protesting cockroaches. In some incidents, police had to intervene and rescue the journalists. A common pattern? “Godi Media” slogans, fury over critical questions, gherao, and near-assault. OpIndia reported about several incidents of near-assault on journalists by CJP cockroaches, including one on a female reporter. It appears that the only thing stopping the cockroaches from resorting to full-fledged violence is heavy police presence. This “Godi media” label has become a convenient delegitimising tool for leftists to brand media critics who refuse to act as anti-BJP darbaris. For left-liberals, journalists are fearless professionals and the fourth pillar of democracy only when they toe the leftist ideological line; otherwise, their safety and dignity can be compromised in the name of ‘outburst of public anger’ and celebrated as “they had it coming”, and “very satisfying”. The CJP mobs are no different from Islamist mobs who target, assault and at times lynch journalists, be it during anti-Waqf Bill protests, over questioning illegal slaughter houses or cow slaughter, for asking sharp questions instead of peddling victimhood narratives. It is, however, unsurprising that the left-liberals are cheering over so-called ‘Godi Media’ journalists being manhandled and near-assaulted by CJP cockroaches. The CJP protests and its supporters have demonstrated support for the likes of Umar Khalid, who is accused of masterminding the 2020 anti-Hindu Delhi Riots, which also, incidentally, was hailed as a ‘peaceful protest’. For Islamo-leftists, the rule is simple: “My mob is good, yours is bad”, and “when we do violence, it is ultimate justice; when you do violence, it is sheer hatred and intolerance”. The message is clear: Either play our tune, or stay silent, else we will silence you.