While the country is staggering under the surging number of coronavirus cases, a large number of which can be attributed to the errant Tablighi Jamaat members who congregated in Nizamuddin Markaz amidst the nationwide lockdown, there are some prominent individuals who have taken up the cudgel to be Jamaat apologists and perversely defend their wrongdoings. Radio Mirch RJ Sayema is one of those individuals who has rallied behind the Jamaat miscreants and whitewashed their misdeeds as fake news.

Quoting a tweet posted by Shekhar Gupta, another prominent individual who is accused of glossing over Tablighi Jamaat’s spiteful conduct through his online portal- The Print, Sayema initially attempted to extenuate the malevolent behaviour exhibited by Tablighi Jamaat members as just a “mistake” and that they had no malignant intents. She further added that those who are doing politics over this ‘mistake’ are far worse than the virus itself.

That’s exactly what it is! A mistake! A blunder perhaps but the ‘intentions’ were never maligned. People doing politics over a ‘mistake’ are a curse on this country. They are infected with a deadlier virus than Covid-19. https://t.co/rkEF3AIfKh — Sayema (@_sayema) April 8, 2020

However, one of the mindful Twitter users attempted to shatter Sayema’s delusions by making her aware of the unfortunate realities associated with the Tablighi Jamaat members. Sanjay, the Twitter user, highlighted how members of Tablighi Jamaat spat on the road when they were being transported to quarantine facilities, spat on doctors, nurses and attendants, roamed around naked in quarantine centres and made lewd remarks for the nurses.

But Sayema, having already iron-willed herself to exonerate the Tablighi Jamaat members, discarded the concerns raised by Sanjay and instead went on a platitudinous rant against him, claiming that whatever he has shared is fake and that he needs to purge the hatred inside him.

Everything that u have written is FAKE news. Get over the hate inside you. Don’t waste one life that u hv with so much negativity towards ANYONE!🙏🏻 — Sayema (@_sayema) April 8, 2020

- Advertisement -

Sanjay then, however, in vain, tried to reason with a seemingly obstinate Sayema that arguments cannot persist if every uncomfortable fact broadcasted on TV is dismissed as fake news.

To this, RJ Sayema responded by declaring that TV is full of fake news. She also hailed habitual fake-news peddler Alt News and shared a preposterous fact-check by them about a Muslim vegetable vendor who was found applying saliva on the vegetables. Instead of fact-checking the incident, Alt News fact-checked whether the incident was from February or March. For Alt News, fact-check as to when and where the incident happened held more importance than the unscrupulous act committed by the man. If a Muslim is seen committing a depraved act in a video, the emphasis is placed on fact-checking extraneous minutiae such as if it’s from January or March.

Sanjay ji! Sadly, what you are saying is true. TV is full of fake news. And it’s very very dangerous. I suggest you follow this so that at least we know what’s fake. @AltNews does a very good and timely job of it. https://t.co/VUXUrHj5NE https://t.co/axlfttoIS7 — Sayema (@_sayema) April 8, 2020

As per RJ Sayema, all the news about the unseemly and criminal tendencies exhibited by Tablighi Jamaat members, who flagrantly violated the lockdown instructions and organised a congregation which has turned out to be the latest coronavirus hotspot in India, are fake and that Tablighi Jamaat members are paragons of virtue who can never commit anything wrong, much less exhibit malicious intentions. By shielding the unruly and patently criminal Tablighi Jamaat members, RJ Sayema is not only casting aspersions on the assertions made by healthcare workers about Tablighi Jamaat members’ despicable conduct but she is also insulting the medical professionals who are putting their lives at risk to help the country’s battle against the coronavirus outbreak.