In this episode of Election Beat, senior political journalist, commentator and writer Saba Naqvi speaks about the sanitisation of hate speeches in the mainstream media through “factual coverage”, and the absence of outrage at the egregious statements made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She says media houses are “running” to do “safe” interviews with Modi, in which follow-up questions are not allowed. As a reporter who has covered the saffron party since the 1990s, she observes that BJP beat reporters now know little of what is happening behind the scenes, and have to stick to party briefings.

Saba Naqvi also speaks about how being a Muslim in the present atmosphere poses some challenges to her work as a journalist. She says those in the party whom she has known over the years  “stay in touch” but are “very careful”. On the ground though, she says, her identity has never been a problem in her interactions with BJP and RSS workers. Saba Naqvi says she has more courage than “comfortable caste” Hindus who decide to go along with the narrative rather than hold the government accountable.