India Today suspends journalist Rajdeep Sardesai for two weeks over wrong tweet on farmer's death
New Delhi/IBNS: Senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai has been taken off air for two weeks and a month's salary was deducted by the India Today Group after the celebrity news anchor claimed in a tweet that a farmer was killed in police firing during the tractor rally violence in the national capital on Jan 26, said reports.
In a tweet, which was removed later, Sardesai wrote: "One person, 45-year-old Navneet, killed allegedly in police firing at ITO. Farmers tell me: the ‘sacrifice’ will not go in vain.”
He posted (and later deleted) this tweet at such a sensitive time? Unbelievable pic.twitter.com/ZLUlbl54Ug
— Swati Goel Sharma (@swati_gs) January 26, 2021
Besides the tweet, Sardesai, while speaking to another India Today correspondent from the ground, said on his show that the deceased, identified as Navneet Singh, will become a symbol for the protesting farmers against the Centre's agriculture laws and they would not leave until they got justice for him.
Sardesai, however, deleted his tweet the same day and followed it up with another video post stating: "While the farm protestors claim that the deceased Navneet Singh was shot at by Delhi police while on a tractor, this video clearly shows that the tractor overturned while trying to break the police barricades. The farm protestors allegations don’t stand. Post mortem awaited."
While the farm protestors claim that the deceased Navneet Singh was shot at by Delhi police while on a tractor, this video clearly shows that the tractor overturned while trying to break the police barricades. The farm protestors allegations don’t stand. Post mortem awaited.👇 pic.twitter.com/JnuU05psgR
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) January 26, 2021
"The police have shown great restraint despite grave provocation by the farm protestors in ITO/Red Fort area: they fired tear gas, no evidence of bullets fired although farm protestors claimed otherwise. Amidst claims and counter claims, the police action needs to be commended," he wrote appreciating the Delhi police later.
The police have shown great restraint despite grave provocation by the farm protestors in ITO/Red Fort area: they fired tear gas, no evidence of bullets fired although farm protestors claimed otherwise. Amidst claims and counter claims, the police action needs to be commended.🙏
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) January 26, 2021
The Delhi Police on Wednesday released a video which showed Navneet Singh speeding and running over barricades with his tractor during the violence which resulted in the overturning of the vehicle.
The report of the autopsy on the farmer revealed that he died due to a “traumatic injury above the left side of his skull from where his brain started oozing out”.
Sardesai's tweet received flak in social media too with some demanding that the senior journalist should be sacked.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) social media chief Amit Malviya tweeted: "He is a repeat offender, should have been sacked!"
He is a repeat offender, should have been sacked! https://t.co/VNxUfHbI2r
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) January 28, 2021
Delhi BJP leader Kapil Mishra on Wednesday tweeted, “Rajdeep Sardesai is off air. But that's not enough. There should be a criminal FIR against Rajdeep Sardesai and he should be behind the bars. His fake news was main reason police was attacked on 26th January."
Rajdeep Sardesai is off air. But that's not enough
— Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishra_IND) January 28, 2021
There should be a criminal FIR against Rajdeep Sardesai and he should be behind the bars
His fake news was main reason police was attacked on 26th January@CPDelhi @DelhiPolice
India today has taken @sardesairajdeep off air for two weeks and cut his one month salary.
— khemchand sharma #Brajwasi #RadheRadhe (@SharmaKhemchand) January 28, 2021
It is not enough @IndiaToday, you need to kick him out.
@delhipolice : His employer has accepted his crime so plz arrest him now.@TwitterIndia#SuspendRajdeepAccount#ArrestRajdeepNow
Complaint filed against @sardesairajdeep from Bengaluru by @nagasadu#ArrestRajdeepNow pic.twitter.com/zSdRZ6g2zU
— Gaurav Goel (@goelgauravbjp) January 28, 2021
The hashtag #ArrestRajdeepNow was also trending on Twitter.
It may be pertinent to mention here that Rajdeep Sardesai had tweeted condolence on Pranab Mukherjee's death falling prey to fake news while the former President was still alive and undergoing treatment at the hospital.
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