Thread by @ShefVaidya

#ReadTheThread. An open letter to @rahulkanwal and @aroonpurie. Sirs, I saw the link of the @IndiaToday show shared by Rahul Kanwal on FB, where your senior employee and colleague, Rajdeep Sardesai tried to outshout, abuse and intimidate Tushar Damgude, a private citizen.

I thought I would ask you a few questions about the appalling behaviour of your colleague.

I could of course ask all these questions to Rajdeep Sardesai myself, but the doyen of free speech that he is, he has blocked me on twitter.

What is it about Tushar Damgude that your colleague Rajdeep Sardessai hates so much? Is it the fact that Tushar is a self-made man from a humble background who did not have a famous cricketer as a father?

Is it the fact that Tushar Damgude is an ordinary citizen who dared to take action against the Elgar Parishad in a democratic, peaceful, legal manner by filing a FIR? Did it rile Rajdeep that an ordinary citizen has dared to seek legal action, even though he is no journalist?

Does Rajdeep hate the fact that Tushar Damgude chose to answer in a calm, logical manner even though Rajdeep was trying his best to provoke him, yell at him and drown his voice? Rajdeep was a casteist jerk on the show, if you pardon my French!

Was Rajdeep prejudiced against Tushar Damgude because Tushar prefers to speak in chaste Marathi and Hindi and therefore forced Rajdeep to speak in his terrible South Mumbai anglicised Hindi? Was Rajdeep being so condescending because Tushar spoke in Hindi and not in English?

Does Rajdeep Sardesai hate Tushar Damgude because Tushar Damgude stands for everything that Rajdeep is not? Tushar hasn’t had a privileged SoBo childhood. Tushar is connected with the reality of India. Tushar has a life outside of the echo chambers of the TV studios.

I know that Rajdeep, that champion of freedom of expression, blocks anyone who dares to contradict him. I write to you in the hope that my questions reach you, and through you, your esteemed pugilist colleague, Rajdeep Sardessai!