He has been penalised multiple times for his communal shows, with action ranging from Rs 50,000 fines to takedown orders.
Considering her popularity, her transition across networks has been smooth – from ABP to Bharat24 to News18 India, all within a year.
But since she is also followed by PM Modi on X, it’s no surprise.
He is the king of memes, and wants to further expand his community of followers among the Gen Z – maybe that’s why he asked Modi who his “BFF” was.
There’s land jihad, education jihad, movies and songs jihad, to name just a few.
Aman Chopra, News18 India
One can hardly forget Chopra’s gleeful counting as the screen showed Gujarati Muslim men being publicly flogged by the police for “faking their identities” at a garba event. He has been penalised multiple times for his communal shows, with action ranging from Rs 50,000 fines to takedown orders.
But nothing changes “Zehreela Chopra” – the moniker he has earned at Newslaundry for his shows on various jihad conspiracy theories and unsubstantiated allegations of Hindu victimisation. Asked for evidence, he stings . Otherwise he is happy to revel in his bigotry.
The invite rewards his special efforts for national unity. He also is one of the few lucky ones to be followed by PM Modi.
Rubika Liyaquat, News18 India
Rubika’s reports may not be extraordinary but she knows how to tell a story. Last year, when she landed in Israel instead of Gaza, for reasons best known to her channel and her, she knew how to make the most of the trip. She asked confused Israelis their favourite Bollywood songs, and put on a cheerful song while sharing a video of her travelling through the country’s streets on Instagram.
Considering her popularity, her transition across networks has been smooth – from ABP to Bharat24 to News18 India, all within a year. And she knows how to ask the most difficult questions to PM Modi, including the contentious subject of his “komal mann (soft heart)” and inquiring why he doesn’t get tired.
She also understands how to break down the most complex questions with little spending on research and with the simple use of props. Like the time she used a sandwich to explain the close link between the government and the opposition.
Liyaquat’s hard work has earned her a spot on BJP’s list of favourite journalists - a study from University of Michigan tracking endorsement of journalists from politicians shows that she was retweeted over 150 times within a span of one year. But since she is also followed by PM Modi on X, it’s no surprise.
She was among the 14 anchors the INDIA bloc decided to initially boycott last year. But it’s difficult to ignore her, as they may have realised at the oath ceremony.
Amish Devgan, News18 India
Amish Devgan is everyone’s favourite. And how could he not be? He is the king of memes, and wants to further expand his community of followers among the Gen Z – maybe that’s why he asked Modi who his “BFF” was.
He loves maryaada but has some haters in the system. Like the time he faced FIRs across the country in 2020 for calling a Sufi preacher to his show and then calling him an attacker and lootera.
The Supreme Court had refused to quash the FIRs, saying that persons of influence, due to their reach, “owe a duty and have to be more responsible”.
Devgan hosted 49 debates between February 1 and April 12 on News 18, out of which 25 were anti-opposition, 15 pro-government, and four on communal issues.
Devgan too is followed by PM Modi on X.
Navika Kumar, Times Now
She is a diligent journalist who has been frequently set up by her enemies to amplify WhatsApp forwards. It’s only because of such traps that she once ended up naming fictitious Chinese prisoners, and blamed the Covid crisis in India entirely on the Tablighi Jamaat.
Her questions are always pointed. Can Taimur give us a flying kiss? Does Neeraj Chopra have a girlfriend? Does Deepika Padukone do drugs? Since PM Modi follows her on X, there’s a small chance he missed her outstanding reportage.
She has several FIRs against her for merely doing her journalistic duty, for only allowing then BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma to speak her mind on Prophet Mohammad. It was a difficult call, after all, between ratings and ethics.
In the run-up to elections, a Newslaundry analysis found that Kumar hosted 51 segments on her show the Newshour on Times Now, out of which 33 were focused on criticising the opposition. Twelve segments were devoted to praising the government, such as when she said that the PM “roars against those who slander Sanatan.”
While there is no shortage of anchors praising Modi and ripping into the opposition, Kumar stands apart as a favourite and it shows. She has, after all, had nearly one-fourth of the cabinet attend her son’s wedding last year.
Sudhir Chaudhary, Aaj Tak
With a PhD in jihad and a background from Tihar, Chaudhary is the poster boy for the “godi media”. His detailed charts on the different types of jihad would put prominent academics and data miners to shame. There’s land jihad, education jihad, movies and songs jihad, to name just a few.
He called an FIR that followed that episode “his Pulitzer prize for reporting the truth”. His other accolades include cases for “instigating communal hatred” and several warnings for spreading communal hatred by the news broadcasting authority.
He is the quickest of investigators. In January, for example, after the arrest of former Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Chaudhary said that he and his family were not “Advisasis” as they lived in “big bungalows” – strangely, an FIR was filed under the SC ST Act. Forget Indian heads of states, he has also linked former US president Obama to the “tukde tukde gang,” and “Khalistanis.”
In the run-up to elections, Chaudhary, who hosts Black and White on Aaj Tak, did 27 segments which were anti-opposition, 15 that were pro-Modi, two on communal issues, one on Pakistan, and eight on other topics. On the rare moments that he did discuss education and unemployment, he framed them as topics that were isolated from the government’s accountability.
It’s not as if he doesn’t question Modi. Like the one time he asked whether the PM has philosophical thoughts about his journey when he looks at the aeroplane window.
Bhakti for PM Modi is in his DNA, perhaps that’s why he has earned him as a follower on X as well.
Chitra Tripathi, Aaj Tak
Where she lacks in talent, as compared to her colleagues who can hop on bulldozers to talk about justice, Tripathi makes up for it with earnest efforts. She too, like her esteemed colleagues, is followed by the prime minister on X.
She sincerely claimed that the St George Cross was brought back on the Indian Navy flag by the Manmohan Singh government, and asked the Congress spokesperson in her debate the reason for the party’s love for all things colonial.
It wasn’t easy for her to find a place in the INDIA boycott list.
She has also had her fair share of controversy. A case about airing an allegedly obscene video of a minor went on for 10 years, and a court framed charges against Tripathi and several other journalists last year.
She finds herself in the limelight for no fault of her own. Like in 2021, when her husband, the editor of a Hindi paper, had claimed he was robbed at gunpoint in Noida. But the UP police refuted this claim after investigation, claiming that the story was “fabricated”.
Apart from these stars, there were several reporters at the event too. But their journeys are yet to invite a follow on X by the PM. And also maybe they are just too journalist-y to feature in this hall of fame.
