New Delhi, January 7, 2026: In a blistering final Lallantop broadcast where Saurabh Dwivedi announced his departure from the media outlet on January 5, 2026, he questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government for staying mute on U.S. President Donald Trump's "attack" and kidnapping of Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro amid escalating U.S.-Latin America tensions.
Dwivedi highlighted Modi government’s passive response on the Maduro's regime crisis and Trump's rhetoric against India’s oil imports from Russia and tariff threats.
In his last show where the founding editor of The Lallantop himself announced his departure from India Today Group, highlighted the BJP ruled Madhya Pradesh’s water crisis negligence and BCCI's IPL decisions related to Shah Rukh Khan's KKR.
Just a couple of days before his resignation, Dwivedi had aired another fiery broadcast criticizing the BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh government regarding a deadly water scandal in Indore which killed close to 15 people as per media reports. In his show on January 2, 2026, he lambasted the Madhya Pradesh government's negligence in the Indore water contamination deaths.
Despite India Today's corporate structure, Dwivedi fostered Lallantop's conversational style, covering niche topics like health and books alongside hard-hitting election ground reports, earning awards for innovative Hindi digital news.
Layered Final Critique
Dwivedi openly challenged BCCI hypocrisy regarding the scapegoating of Shah Rukh Khan’s KKR over a player's exit. He also targeted BCCI officials for evading blame in pressuring Shah Rukh Khan's KKR to drop Bangladeshi player Mustafizur Rahman, implying faith-based scapegoating.
Dwivedi's daring path, blending access with accountability, sustained Lallantop's credibility amid "establishment -aligned media" accusations elsewhere.
BCCI had instructed KKR to release Mustafizur Rahman post-auction amid backlash over Hindu targeting in Bangladesh, sparking debates on whether criticism targeted Khan unfairly while sparing officials; Dwivedi raised this in his broadcast amid boycott calls.
No direct confirmation links his comments on the show to his exit, but timing raises eyebrows given Lallantop's independent voice.
Unfiltered Critique of Power
Saurabh Dwivedi's departure from the India Today Group on January 5, 2026, followed a 12-year tenure and was driven by a divergence in editorial approach and recent critical commentary on the government. While The Lallantop is a subsidiary of the India Today Group, its "Real, Raw, and Relatable" style often contrasted with the more traditional, mainstream media approach of the parent company.
Link to Saurabh Dwivedi’s show announcing his departure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eMlQqwqdm4
Broader Challenges
Independent journalism in India faces mounting pressures from corporate ownership, political influence, and regulatory hurdles, yet figures like Saurabh Dwivedi exemplify resilience by carving autonomous spaces within mainstream outlets. Dwivedi, who led The Lallantop under the India Today Group, built a 35-million-subscriber YouTube powerhouse known for unfiltered political interviews, youth-focused storytelling, and critiques transcending party lines. His exit after 12 years highlights both the viability and limits of such independence.
Media concentration in few hands enables ad revenue leverage by governments and corporates, stifling diversity and favoring aligned narratives over dissent. India ranks 159th in the 2024 Press Freedom Index, with independent voices facing raids, visa denials for foreigners, cyber harassment, and ownership takeovers like NDTV's. Mainstream media exits, such as Ravish Kumar's from NDTV, mirror patterns where critics exit amid ‘establishment-aligned media’ dominance.
Path Forward for Conscious, Social and Responsible (CSR) Journalism
Dwivedi's model—leveraging digital platforms for direct audience reach—offered hope even as independent outlets like Newslaundry gained traction despite mainstream media decline. Strengthening ethical norms, diversifying ownership, and digital innovation remain key to sustaining such voices against survival fights.
TheCSRUniverse as a Conscious, Social and Responsible (CSR) platform supports media reporting on issues that concerns society at large.
Also Read: Lallantop’s Editor Saurabh Dwivedi Quits; His Fiery Last Show Was on BJP-ruled State’s Deadly Water Scandal & BCCI's SRK Bias
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