Public broadcaster Prasar Bharati, which runs Doordarshan and All India Radio, has sent a strongly worded letter to news agency Press Trust of India (PTI) alleging “anti-national” reporting by the latter pertaining to the India-China stand-off.
According to a report by LiveMint, a person privy to the matter said that PTI’s news coverage has made it untenable for the public broadcaster to continue its relationship with the news agency which it has been supporting by paying huge annual fees.
The letter comes after PTI published an interview with Chinese ambassador Sun Weidong where the diplomat blamed India for the ongoing border crisis in Ladakh and the Galwan Valley.
The person has reportedly also said that “Prasar Bharati is reviewing its relationship with PTI” and a final decision will be taken soon.
What Was the Controversial Interview?
The Chinese ambassador in its interview to PTI had blamed India for instigating the violence in the Galwan Valley, which resulted in the death of 20 Indian soldiers including a commanding officer.
Weidong in the interview had said, “The onus is not on China. The Indian side crossed the LAC (Line of Actual Control) for provocation and attacked the Chinese border troops. The Indian forces seriously violated agreements on border issues between the two countries.”
PTI is a non-profit cooperative and the largest news agency in India. It employees over 1,000 full-time employees.
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