Veteran journalist Rajdeep Sardesai has threatened to file a defamation suit worth Rs 100 crore against a lawyer, Prashant Patel, after he allegedly made libelous comments about the former and his son on Twitter.
This was after Sardesai filed a police complaint against Patel for spreading fake news about the man, who identifies himself as a lawyer, in the past. A rattled Patel had tweeted, “Dear @sardesairajdeep Is it true that your Son Ishan got admission at MBBS in Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University in 2013 on NRI quota w/o having merit after paying ₹ 1 Cr by violating rules (sic)?”
An angry Sardesai posted the copies of the admission order exposing Patel’s yet another attempt to spread lies through fake tweets. He also threatened to slap a Rs 100 crore defamation suit against Patel. Sardesai wrote, “For the Bhakt army of liars: here is my son, a merit rank school topper, medical college admission form. Also marking @TVMohandasPai of Manipal board. Next step 100 crore defamation suit against @ippatel and @TwitterIndia Sad it has reached this but enough is enough.”
For the Bhakt army of liars: here is my son, a merit rank school topper, medical college admission form. Also marking @TVMohandasPai of Manipal board. Next step 100 crore defamation suit against @ippatel and @TwitterIndia Sad it has reached this but enough is enough. pic.twitter.com/RRbcrfBGVx
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) February 10, 2018
In his subsequent tweet, the veteran journalist, now a consulting editor with the India Today group, wrote, “Rats can only be taken to cleaners when society has enough cats ready to draw the line!”
This is not the first time that members of the right-wing Hindutva brigade have attempted to discredit the family members of journalists critical of the central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Last year, a civil servant with Rajasthan’s BJP government, Sanjay Dixit, had made public, the personal details of Rifat Jawaid’s wife and children after Janta Ka Reporter’s editor-in-chief questioned his open biases despite being an IAS officer.
The latest attempt to spread fake news involving journalists’ family by known Hindutva army of trolls has evoked angry reactions from social media users. Here are some of the reactions;
I remember @RifatJawaid ‘s address was made public, there were threats to attack @Zakka_Jacob and now children of @sardesairajdeep @sagarikaghose are dragged. There is a pattern. #AngryIndian
— Gunja Kapoor (@gunjakapoor) February 10, 2018
Ridiculous that Modi bhakts are haranguing Rajdeep Sardesai for his son’s academic records and accusing him of nepotism but the same oafs have no such demands of:
a) how Jay Shah’s company made money or
b) Modi’s academic records— IndiaExplained (@IndiaExplained) February 10, 2018
Rajdeep Sardesai is a private citizen. His son even more. Bhakts shd hv decency to leave kids out of their bigoted politics. But then bhakts and decency?
— K (@monteskw) February 10, 2018
This is where we have come to! Fathers have to even justify merits of children…
Rajdeep u r a father first and then a public figure. U r not accountable to any jokers whose own credentials are under serious doubts
— Arnaz Hathiram (@Milkyway1955Z) February 10, 2018
