Big showdown on Asianet's News Hour, anchor asks Congressman to leave debate

Vinu repeatedly told Siddique to exit

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On Thursday, a news discussion on Asianet News Hour at 8 pm left the audience surprised as the programme metamorphosed into a mini News Hour. (Yes, the one on the nation's favourite channel TimesNow anchored by Arnab Goswami).

Now, don't get us wrong. Malayalam does have its share of dramatic anchors, but it was a surprise for many to watch news anchor Vinu V John asking one of the guest speakers and Congress leader T Siddique to leave the studio following an argument.

Though CPI(M) MLA Sreeramakrishnan and CPI MLA Sunilkumar were present as guests, for about seven minutes, Vinu and Siddique were engaged in arguments over the bar bribery case and the involvement of excise minister K Babu.

Siddique aggressively defended Babu as Vinu questioned him about allegations leveled by hotelier Biju Ramesh that the minister had taken Rs 50 lakhs as bribe from him.

Irked over the questions, Siddique shouted at the anchor and asked him to allow him to speak. At one point, Siddique told Vinu that he had come to the show to present his version and not to listen to the anchor's 'speech'.

Even as the two argued, the others looked on (quite clueless in fact).

Finally, when Siddique went into a monologue and said the discussion was useless and he was least interested in it, the anchor who had lost his cool by then, told Siddique to leave the studio.

Vinu repeatedly told Siddique to exit. There was a little bit of more drama in store as an angry Siddique got up from his chair and left, yelling on for a few seconds.

Public opinion seems to be divided on this one. While some say the politician deserved it, others have asked if anchors should act like judges.

Now, that sounds like a familiar question, doesn't it?

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