Roopa Ganguly adds to Param Bir Singh's 'TRP' woes; says the incompetence is hilarious

Mumbai Police continued to get flak, not just from netizens but also from celebrities, after Commissioner Param Bir Singh’s false accusations against Republic TV in a purported fake TRP (Television Rating Points) scam was right-royally exposed. The latest to hit out at the Maharashtra government was Roopa Ganguly, who highlighted its ‘incompetence’. The actor-turned-Member of Parliament slammed the allegations as she threw light on the reportage of the Palghar lynching and Sushant Singh Rajput death cases.

READ: IMPACT: Mumbai Police Admits India Today Was Named In FIR Of TRP Scam, Not Republic TV

Roopa Ganguly backs Republic TV

Taking to Twitter, Roopa Ganguly wrote that she did not wish to get into the TRP game, or the statements anyone was making. However, the Mahabharat actor felt that a state looking for a ‘TRP issue’ after the reportage of the Palghar lynching case and the Sushant Singh Rajput case was ‘hilarious.’

Previously, Bharatiya Janata Party working President JP Nadda and Information & Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar had come out in Republic TV’s support.

READ: "We Watch Republic On Our Own Accord": Netizens Back Arnab; Trend #WeStandWithRepublic 

Celebrities of the film industry like Payal Ghosh and Smita Parikh too expressed solidarity with the media network. #WeStandWithRepublic became a top trend on Twitter.

Mumbai Police vs Republic TV on fake TRP scam 

Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh’s false allegations linking Republic TV to the TRP scam was brutally shot down by Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami. Calling it ‘false allegations’ and a ‘desperate measure,’ Goswami then had a stinging response after Republic TV accessed the copy of the First Information Report, which had India Today named multiple times, without any mention of Republic TV. 

As per sources, Vishal Bhandari, Relationship manager of the Hansa Research Group Private Limited has named India Today and other channels for 'increasing ratings'. Hansa Research Group Private Limited is the company responsible for installing Bar-O-Meter of the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), that releases the viewership ratings. Bhandari alleged that India  Today and other channel urged him to pay money to panel homes to watch their channels. Dy General Manager Nitin Deokar shared that a person named Vinay asked Bhandari to distribute Rs 1000 each to five panel homes in November 2019 to watch the channel for two hours daily from November 2019 to May 2020. This has been confirmed in an audit inquiry by BARC.

In effect, the complaint over which Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh had earlier on Thursday held a press conference and proceeded to claim he would investigate a TRP Scam had actually named India Today, and not Republic TV.

READ: Will Param Bir Singh Do It? Arnab Goswami Dares Mumbai CP On India Today's Name On His FIR

READ: STATEMENT: India Today In FIR, Arnab Goswami Demands Param Bir Singh's Resignation