Anil Ambani’s Reliance Group on Thursday, 18 October, filed a defamation suit against NDTV in an Ahmedabad, allegedly for its reportage on the Rafale figther jet deal.
The channel, in a statement, refuted the charges leveled by the group, adding that it would fight the charges in court on 26 October.
“...the charges of defamation are nothing more than a heavy-handed attempt by Anil Ambani’s group to suppress the facts and prevent the media from doing its job - asking questions about a defence deal and seeking answers that are very much in public interest.”
According to NDTV’s statement, Reliance had filed the lawsuit against their weekly show ‘Truth vs Hype’, which was aired on 29 September. The show had seen panellists debate whether or not Reliance was a suitable choice for partnership with Dassault, given its “vast debt and record in defence manufacturing.”
NDTV argued that multiple and repeated attempts to reach out to a representative from Reliance for an appearance on the show, or a comment on the row, were met with no response.
The channel further added that the lawsuit was “an unsophisticated warning to the media to stop doing its job,” and that the channel would continue to indulge in journalism that “uncovers the truth.”
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