News18 uses Afghanistan crisis to share cartoon mocking those who feel 'threatened' in India

On August 17, News18 tweeted an "edgy" cartoon to spotlight the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan and the prevailing sentiment in India about the treatment of minorities and marginalised communities.

Cartoonist Neelabh Banerjee's illustration, which showed an IAF aircraft evacuating people from Afghanistan to India, had the following text: "And then there are some who live in India and say they feel threatened all the time!?"

Bravo #IndianAirForce for rescuing people. #Afghanistan #Kabul

Credits- @NeelabhToons pic.twitter.com/PjL55MgdA4

— News18 (@CNNnews18) August 17, 2021

At a time when so little is known about Afghanistan's future, and fears run deep about the Taliban's takeover, News18 didn't quite tick the right boxes with its "clever" cartoon. And some social media users didn't hesitate in saying so.

@IndEditorsGuild | What sort of News Channels use an humanitarian crises to spread propaganda. Using the armed forces for propaganda only makes is more deplorable. https://t.co/D2CTZNViOn

— BE (@bhim_e) August 17, 2021

When being alive is a luxury.

— CitizenSpeak (@speak_citizen) August 17, 2021

Proves why this media outlet is a Godi media

— kalia (@gravitymoney) August 17, 2021

India is being compared to Afghanistan in order to defend bigotry. . Thanks to Nehru, Gandhi and Ambedkar and their strong secular principles who did not let it become Afghanistan. The seculars are still fighting for democracy.

— Deepali Loney (@behumanshowlove) August 17, 2021

To understand more of what's happening in Afghanistan, check out Newslaundry's coverage here.

Also Read: ‘My kids shouldn’t grow up where they can't sing, dance, love freely’: Afghan consulate worker who fled

Also Read: ‘They left us alone in the 21st century’: What journalists in Afghanistan are saying about the crisis

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