On January 26th when violence at New Delhi, Red Fort was at its peak, News Anchor and India Today Consulting Editor Rajdeep Sardesai tweeted that a young farmer was killed in police firing.
This was later confirmed as fake news and now India Today has taken action against Rajdeep Sardesai. As Sardesai confirmed to The Wire that he has been taken off the air for two weeks and had his salary cut for the month
After tweeting that unverified info, Rajdeep Sardesai even went live with this on India Today explaining how the young farmer was shot by the Delhi Police cop.
राजदीप सरदेसाई ने झूठ बोला
राजदीप ने कहा कि उसने खुद देखा नवनीत के सिर पर गोली लगी थी
पोस्टमार्टम और वीडियो में राजदीप के झूठ का पर्दाफाश
राजदीप दिल्ली पुलिस पर हमले के लिए खुलेआम भड़का रहा था #ArrestRajdeepNow pic.twitter.com/1n5mAPG4Nr
— Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishra_IND) January 27, 2021
But Delhi Police was quick to respond to this fake information as they said Navneet Singh died because his tractor overturned. Afterward, police also shared a video in which a tractor can be seen going out of control and overturning.
Hours after this video was released, Sardesai retracted his statement and said, “While the farm protestors claim that the deceased Navneet Singh was shot at by Delhi police while on a tractor, this video clearly shows that the tractor overturned while trying to break the police barricades. The farm protestors’ allegations don’t stand. Post mortem awaited.”
Additionally, in his live coverage at 5:47 pm on January 26 for India Today – soon after his tweet was written – he said, “What we do know is that while the farm protesters that we met insist that the person who died named Navneet Singh was shot at, but the police has provided us with a video that shows very clearly that the tractor overturned.”
