'My Sound Was Butchered': Mumbai Model Rhiya Ahir Hits Back After Live TV Debate With Arnab Goswami Goes Viral

Mumbai model and activist Rhiya Ahir has responded to her recent live television debate with Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami, alleging that technical issues impacted the audio during the discussion and hindered her ability to engage with other participants effectively. Ahir expressed her frustration, stating, "Should've asked these so-called nationalists to sing the Vande Mataram with me, without the prompter."

She further accused the channel of attempting to undermine her by manipulating her sound input during the debate, which centered on student protests and the controversy surrounding the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The debate, which garnered contrasting reactions online, saw Republic TV present Goswami's confrontation of Ahir as a moment of challenge, asking her about the number of stanzas in Vande Mataram.

Ahir, however, maintained her composure throughout the heated discussion and defended herself against Goswami's questioning and interruptions. In response to the incident, Ahir raised concerns over the program's conduct and its audio quality, claiming that the sound was "entirely butchered" and that she could not hear her fellow panellists except for the first two minutes of the debate.

She expressed her inability to reply to others when they were speaking or addressing her during the exchange. The channel's guest coordinator responded by asserting that Ahir's voice was "very much audible" and advised her to refer to the published video once it became available. Ahir, however, steadfastly maintained that she could not hear any of the other participants during the debate.

In another message, she criticized the manner in which Goswami addressed panellists, emphasizing the importance of maintaining decorum even on a national news channel. She also highlighted the audio problems that hampered her participation in the discussion. Screenshots of the exchange show the coordinator praising Ahir's humor and ability to stay at ease during the debate, adding that few could debate with Goswami and commending her for speaking well.

The online exchange has become part of the broader discussion surrounding the televised confrontation, with supporters of Ahir viewing her performance as strong, while Republic TV's presentation of the program framed it as Goswami exposing what it described as a politically motivated youth protest ecosystem.