In January 2021, Sardesai was taken off-air by India Today group for 'two weeks' after he spread fake news about the death of rioter Navreet during the Republic Day riots.
On January 23, 2021, the President of India unveiled a portrait of Netaji on his 125th birth anniversary. However, Sardesai, along with other prominent 'journalists' had asserted the portrait was of Prosenjit and not of Netaji.
India Today went on overdrive trying to shield itself after they had made a fool of themselves and gone after Republic TV and Arnab Goswami in the TRP scam issue