For decades, Asian News International (ANI) has occupied a near-monopoly in India’s television news ecosystem. With a business reportedly worth hundreds of crores, the agency supplies video footage and sound bites to news channels across the country and abroad. Its reporters are seemingly everywhere, often making ANI the only visual source for breaking news.

Yet on July 20, when Delhi Police launched a brutal crackdown on thousands of students protesting in Delhi, ANI had nothing to say. An analysis of ANI’s output shows that of the 404 X posts shared by the news agency that day, not a single one mentioned injury to protestors.

Headed by editor-in-chief Smita Prakash, ANI has long faced criticism for echoing government narratives. It has been accused in the past of “producing blatant propaganda for the state.” Its complete silence on the assault on students in the national Capital is likely to reinforce those criticisms.

ANI editor Smita Prakash interviewing Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 16, 2024 (Screengrab from YouTube)

The Cockroach Janta Party had called for a Chalo Sansad march on July 20, the opening day of Parliament’s monsoon session, after more than a month of continuous protests at Jantar Mantar demanding the education minister’s resignation.

Authorities responded with sweeping security measures. Section 163, prohibiting the assembly of five or more people, was imposed in the area. More than 5,000 police personnel were deployed, and five Delhi Metro stations near Parliament were shut. As protesters attempted to march towards Parliament in defiance of the restrictions, Delhi Police used lathis and tear gas to disperse the crowds.

By afternoon, videos of clashes from Connaught Place, Patel Chowk, Raisina Road, outside Parliament, India Gate, Ashoka Road and APJ Abdul Kalam Road had begun flooding social media.

The visuals were striking: protesters with pellet injuries, batons embedded with nails, tear gas shells being fired, minors allegedly being assaulted, and scores of young demonstrators being detained by the police. By sundown, parts of central Delhi resembled a war zone.

The scale of the injuries became clearer the following morning when The Indian Express reported that Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital had treated more than 100 CJP protestors, with patients requiring stitches, tetanus shots and wound dressings.

Despite the abundance of video evidence, Delhi Police denied using excessive force. In a post on X, it claimed that “no such incident has taken place” and urged the public not to “fall prey to any rumour.” The denial came even as footage showed plainclothes men wielding lathis alongside uniformed police personnel, several of whom were not wearing name badges.

Analysis of ANI’s Tweets from July 20

Alt News analysed all X posts by ANI on July 20, shared between 7 am and 11.59 pm. Of the 404 posts in this window, 218 (54 percent) covered national news, weather, crime, politics and other affairs. Of the remaining 186 (46 percent), 180 referenced Delhi. These posts were on whatever was........

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