Has Rajdeep Sardesai been sacked from India Today? Controversial comment advocating PoK to be given to Pakistan fuels exit speculations
Social media has been abuzz with speculation that veteran journalist Rajdeep Sardesai has been unceremoniously removed from India Today. The chatter intensified when ABP News journalist Megha Prasad tweeted, “A high and mighty in the media just got booted out,” without naming anyone. But it wasn’t long before netizens began connecting the dots, with many pointing fingers at India Today’s senior anchor Rajdeep Sardesai, especially after his controversial take on PoK even as national sentiment runs high in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.
Adding fuel to the fire are multiple posts across X (formerly Twitter) alleging that Sardesai has been unceremoniously removed from the channel amid rising internal discomfort over his increasingly controversial positions and perceived conflicts of interest.
The PoK comment that sparked outrage
The immediate trigger, according to online observers, may have been Sardesai’s recent remarks on a televised debate regarding Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). During the discussion, he controversially stated that India should “consider formalizing the Line of Control (LoC) as the international border” and advised against pursuing the return of PoK. Sardesai went a step further to caution that India “must not underestimate Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities” and suggested that such ambitions could be destabilizing.
The statement was met with fierce backlash online, with many accusing him of fear-mongering and echoing Pakistan’s narrative on Kashmir. Critics slammed the remarks as defeatist and anti-national, particularly at a time when there is growing consensus within India about reclaiming its rightful territories under illegal occupation.
A history of peddling fake news
This is not the first time Rajdeep Sardesai has courted controversy — or disciplinary action. In January 2021, he was taken off air by India Today for two weeks and docked a month’s salary after spreading misinformation during the farmers’ protest. Sardesai had tweeted that a protester who died during the tractor rally on Republic Day had been killed in police firing. It was later confirmed that the individual had died after his tractor overturned. The false claim drew heavy criticism, and India Today was compelled to take punitive action against him.
Conflict of interest and questions of bias
This isn’t the first time Sardesai has come under fire. His critics have often accused him of going soft on opposition parties, while displaying open hostility and cynicism towards the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. These concerns took on a new dimension when his wife, Sagarika Ghose, was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) — a party fiercely opposed to the ruling BJP.
The nomination revived questions about journalistic neutrality and conflict of interest. Can a senior editor at a leading national channel be expected to report impartially when their spouse is an active member of Parliament from the opposition ranks? Many argue that since Ghose’s elevation to the Upper House, Sardesai’s tone has increasingly resembled that of an opposition spokesperson rather than a neutral journalist. His consistent criticism of the Modi government and conspicuous silence or deflection when it comes to the opposition’s failures have not gone unnoticed by viewers or media analysts.
While India Today has so far remained tight-lipped, speculation abounds that Sardesai’s exit — if true — may have been an internal editorial decision aimed at damage control. Some rumours suggest that the channel, long criticised for employing political party spokespersons as journalists, may have finally drawn the line and come down hard against propagandists who fail to realise when their pathological hatred for Modi devolves into hate for India.
Given the growing public scrutiny and outrage against Rajdeep’s brand of journalism, India Today might be attempting to restore balance by distancing itself from a figure whose perceived partisanship was becoming a liability.
At the time of publication, OpIndia has reached out to Rajdeep Sardesai via email to seek clarification on the speculation surrounding his status at India Today. We have not received a response yet.
What’s next for Sardesai?
If the chatter is indeed accurate, Rajdeep Sardesai would be the latest in a line of partisan media figures shown the door for peddling propaganda under the guise of journalism. He could, like others before him — Ravish Kumar, Abhisar Sharma, Ajit Anjum — play the victimhood claiming he was dismissed for asking “uncomfortable questions” and simply shift to YouTube, where echo chambers are plentiful and accountability minimal. There, he can continue delivering his increasingly delusional takes on Indian politics without editorial oversight or the inconvenience of being challenged.
Disclaimer: This article is based on unverified social media chatter and public speculation. As of now, there has been no official confirmation from India Today or Rajdeep Sardesai.
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