On the day Yogi Adityanath was announced as the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister by the BJP, some politicians and mediapersons had ganged up to spread a blatant lie about Yogi Adityanath delivering a hate speech about calling for the rape of dead Muslim women.
One of those who took part in this slanderous exercise was eminent Journalist Rajdeep Sardesai who spread the lie on national television via the India Today news channel:
PM just gave a speech on @indiatoday, @sardesairajdeep blatantly lies on the same channel that Yogi said “Muslim women should be raped”!!! pic.twitter.com/Qzdh10b7Hw
— Ishant Sharma (@CrimeMasterV2) March 18, 2017
The truth of the matter was that the alleged video speech was delivered not by Yogi Adityanath but by one of his supporters when Yogi was just sitting on the stage (as seen in an undated video clip). Speculations were also raised about malicious editing being a possible tool in creating that particular video clip.
After the lies of Rajdeep on India Today were exposed, the channel was forced to issue a corrigendum for the same. Incredibly, the corrigendum that was issued also had a mistake in it:
India Today in the very first line got the date of Rajdeep’s lie wrong. To top it off, it was Rajdeep himself who unflinchingly read out the wrong corrigendum:
Bloody Hell! Only @IndiaToday can make an Error even in Corrigendum. And it is not just a Typo. #MSGRuffian@sardesairajdeep reads it too pic.twitter.com/OeZbddEG8p
— Suresh En (@surnell) March 24, 2017
After the fact about the error sunk in, the people were unhappy with India Today just issuing a casual corrigendum for a statement, which was defamatory to say the least.
A Corrigendum!!! Is it so simple to get away with such crime! How does it rectify the damage done? @IndiaToday @ShivAroor @gauravcsawant pic.twitter.com/cnAMuDjIrR
— Røÿ (@MixedRaita) March 24, 2017
Corrigendum is a correction of error, not apology of a *targeted mistake* https://t.co/hiTBIGVo93
— Shivam Toons ? (@s_cartoons) March 24, 2017
Dear @sardesairajdeep ur Corrigendum is just like u – totally FAKE
or it advance for future venom ?
Whr is A P O L O G Y?
cc @aroonpurie pic.twitter.com/iz4xaF3Np4— Suresh Nakhua (@sureshnakhua) March 24, 2017
A BJP leader and former state minister IP Singh too asked for an apology for Rajdeep’s unfounded and shameful (sic) statement, failing which he would initiate legal action against him:
श्री @sardesairajdeep जी, योगी जी के खिलाफ दिए इस बेबुनियाद व शर्मनाक बयान से छुब्द हूँ, आप माफ़ी मांगें या मैं कार्यवाही के लिए तैयार हूँ! pic.twitter.com/CRIszrtjgc
— IP Singh (@ipsinghbjp) March 25, 2017
It is the second time this month that Rajdeep Sardesai has goofed up while attempting to somehow discredit the BJP in UP. On 3rd March he had helped spread a lie about the Vice Chancellor of BHU attending PM Modi’s rally in Varanasi. After doing so, he raised questions over BHU’s autonomy and impartiality.
This lie was busted by the VC himself, who pointed out that he was sitting in his office during the rally, forcing Rajdeep to tweet out his ‘mistake’ with a promise of an apology:
The pics of BHU VC at Modi roadshow have turned out to be case of ‘mistaken identity’. Apologising to him and withdrawing tweet.
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) March 6, 2017
