On Friday morning, an IED or improvised explosive device was found near East Delhi's Ghazipur flower market. The Delhi police said it was aimed at causing “maximum damage”. An investigation is underway with an FIR registered and officers checking CCTV footage to gather clues, Indian Express reported.

But this investigation seems to be taking too long for Times Now, which decided to run with the hashtag #KhalistanTickingBomb in their coverage of the incident.

Their proof? That the chief of the National Security Guards told the channel that they were not ruling out a "Khalistan angle".

The anchor reminded her viewers that “Times Now has been consistently saying that the Khalistan angle to persistent threats, especially in the run up to Republic Day, cannot be summarily dismissed.”

The channel's reporter who spoke to the NSG director general said, “The fact of the matter is that the location is very important. No one would be talking about the Ghazipur flower mandi last year but as you know, the name ‘Ghazipur’ has gained international popularity by the farmers protesting. They were very close to this particular venue, so that is also very important to see. All possibilities cannot be ruled out.”

What is important to remember is that Times Now, along with other channels, had pushed the "Khalistan" narrative to delegitimise the farmers' protest last year.

The anchor ended by saying that until the investigation is complete, it is not “advisable, feasible or possible” to dismiss any threat.

If this was the case, surely Times Now would give an equal amount of time and space to other possibilities as well, rather than “consistently” push for one?