”Is censorship of sports debates too happening in this country”

New Delhi: Is censorship of sports debates too happening in this country? The question has been posed by a very senior journalist amid the growing concern over the attacks on the freedom of the press and of the harassment of people for expressing criticism of establishment on social media platoforms.

In August 5 episode of the News 24 TV show Sabse Bada Sawal, seasoned sports journalist Chander Shekhar Luthra had said “In our country, we have sports ministers such as Uma Bharti or Sunil Dutt who were not interested in sports. Or like Anurag Thakur who was removed from the BCCI by the the Supreme Court.” “What kind of signal are you giving? You’re doing your own propaganda. Sportsmen should be given respect and jobs.” the had journalist said.

He had also raised other releveant questions on the way sports had ben treated by the successive governments. However, his comments were deleted in the debate that was uploaded on the YouTube channel of News24.

Shekhar had sent link of the Youtube debate to his friends who later told him that his part of the debate was missing from the Youtube version.

Shekhar told India News Stream that he was told by a Channel staff that his comment was deleted after there was a call from the ”higher ups.”

He had also tweeted about the issue, ”So, someone in Govt has also started censoring Sports debates also… My comments on News24 (7 pm) show was later deleted from full clip posted on YouTube, where I simply criticised ‘Khelo India’… Probably, Mr Goli Maaro only wants to hear “Cheer for India”… Hai naa!!!”

He said next day same thing happened at Times Now Navbharat channel, where he said how successive govts had made non serious people Sports ministers, from Uma Bharti to Sunil Dutt, who had absolutely no knowledge or vision for sports… .”Even now look at the intention of govt that person who was removed by Supreme Court as BCCI president was given charge to run sports in this country…,” he had said.

His part criticising the government was edited out of the Youtube version of the debate on this TV channel too, he said.

–INDIA NEWS STREAM