The Delhi chief minister’s office has written a strongly worded letter to India Today group and the ABP News Network asking them to apologise to the nation and to sack the Mail Today managing editor Abhijit Majumder for their coverage of the issue of compensation to Ankit Saxena’s family by “trying to give the story a communal colour with the intention of disturbing the social fabric of Delhi.”
“Through this letter, I am drawing your attention to towards a deliberate and malicious attempt by your news channel Aaj Tak and managing editor of Mail Today newspaper of your group to communalise and distort facts related to compensation for the family of late Ankit Saxena, who was murdered in Delhi,” said the letter to the India Today group from the Chief Minister’s Office signed by Media Advisor To The Chief Minister.
In a similar letter to the ABP News Network, the CM’s office said, “The pattern of coverage by ABP New since today morning about the condolence meeting in memory of Ankit held yesterday (February 12), which was attended by the Delhi Chief Minister, clearly shows that your channel tried to give the story a communal colour with the intention of disturbing the social fabric of Delhi.
The CMO has demanded sacking of Abhijit Majumder, who has reportedly been shortlisted by Prasar Bharati for top edit job, for his tweet.
The letter said, “Managing editor of Mail Today newspaper Mr Abhijit Majumder tweeted a story from the newspaper stating: “CM Kejriwal leaves Ankit Saxena’s prayer meet midway after family asks for Rs 1 crore compensation he paid to certain ‘Muslim victims’ in the past. He has offered Ankit’s family Rs 5 lakh.”
“How is it possible for an editor of a newspaper to spread blatant falsehood with a clear communal intent without even checking basic facts,” the lettersaid.
According to the CMO, the channels had distorted facts about its compensation policy and beneficiaries. “Rs 1 crore compensation is offered to kin of personnel in uniform who die while “performing dangerous duties”, the letter said.
“The list of at least seven families of victims who have been given Rs one crore compensation is attached with this letter. Though I would have refrained from entering into a debate on the details of these families, but since your channel has tried to give a communal colour to this issue, five of the families which have received Rs one crore compensation are Hindus and only two are Muslim families,” the letter said.
“It is only fair for your group to remove this person as editor of Mail Todayand apologise to the nation for the blatant biased coverage by Aaj Tak with a clear communal angle,” the letter said.