ABP News channel’s flagship show, Masterstroke, has reportedly been axed minutes after the departure of its anchor Punya Prasun Bajpai. Bajpai, as was reported by Janta Ka Reporter earlier, left the organisation on Thursday afternoon. His resignation had followed the shock departure of the channel’s editorial head, Milind Khandekar.

A source in the editorial team of the channel told Janta Ka Reporter that the controversial show Masterstroke will not ‘go on air tonight.’ When asked if the channel has taken a decision to drop the show permanently, the source said, “It’s not very difficult to conclude this, is it? When the anchor has himself has, why would the channel continue with the show?”

Not too long ago, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Rajyawardhgan Singh Rathore had reacted angrily to the channel’s coverage on Chhattisgarh suggesting that the PM’s interaction with local women was choreographed.

One Chandramani Kaushik from Chhattisgarh had told Modi in her interaction with the prime minister that her agricultural income had doubled after she switched from cultivating paddy to (‘sitafal’) custard apple farming. However, a report broadcast by Masterstroke on ABP News had later interviewed the same woman, who claimed that officials from Delhi had arrived in Kanker district of Chhattisgarh to tutor her before her interaction with PM Modi, to falsely claim about doubling of income.

The channel had defended its coverage. Days later, many viewers had claimed that they were facing difficulties in watching the programme alleging a deliberate intervention by the government.

#MasterStroke @abpnewshindi I'm from Goa every night at 9 to 10 PM masterstroke is being telecast and interrupted with bad signal. ABP news and @ppbajpai why u are not taking up this with government. Free press and media are under threat. This emergency . pic.twitter.com/RrG79Vpb9I — SMH (@Modassir_Hassan) July 30, 2018

What is happening to #abpnews #MasterStroke most of the times between 9 to 10 pm signal problem on dish tv ????. सच से डर लगता है साहिब क्या। pic.twitter.com/QbP9SceHPC — Mukesh Sharma (@advmickey) July 30, 2018