Rahul Gandhi Video: Congress initiates legal action against Zee News and its Anchor

In a letter to the Authority chairman, Congress communication department head Pawan Khera raised the matter of "illegal, unethical and malicious" broadcast by Zee News and its anchor Rohit Ranjan, during their programme titled "DNA" which was aired on July 1.

New Delhi:The Congress on Wednesday filed a complaint against Zee News and one of its anchors for airing a video clip of Rahul Gandhi's comments in Kerala with a "distorted and malicious interpretation", and sought action against them. The party reached out to News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority with the complaint after Rohit Ranjan, the Zee news anchor who allegedly doctored a video featuring Rahul Gandhi was arrested earlier on Tuesday.

In a letter to the Authority chairman, Congress communication department head Pawan Khera raised the matter of "illegal, unethical and malicious" broadcast by Zee News and its anchor Rohit Ranjan, during their programme titled "DNA" which was aired on July 1.

"The impugned news broadcast by Zee News had sought to falsely and maliciously suggest that former INC President Rahul Gandhi demonstrated sympathy for the killers of Kanhaiya Lal (tailor killed in Udaipur) by calling them 'children' and saying (they) have acted in an irresponsible way," Mr Khera said.

These comments in their original and correct context referred to the vandalism of the Congress' office at Wayanad and were in no way connected with the horrifying murder of Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur, the Congress leader pointed out.

It must be noted that only Zee and its anchor chose to give the clip this distorted and malicious interpretation. No other news agency, channel or newspaper made the same mistake, he said in the letter dated July 4.

Khera said it was only after numerous complaints by the party and the public at large, wherein the "distortion and falsity" of the broadcast was pointed out that impugned news broadcast was taken down. "However, the news channel and the broadcast have clearly and admittedly violated the provisions of (1) the Cable Television Network Regulation Act, 1995; (2) Cable Television Network Rules, 1994; (3) the Code of Ethics & Broadcasting Standards," he said.

Khera has sought prompt and appropriate action to be taken against the news channel and the anchor. (With Agency Inputs)