India Today TV journalist Rajdeep Sardesai issued an apology following an uproar over his picture with controversial BJP leader Brij Bhushan Saran Singh during his on-field reporting programme. In the picture that went viral, Rajdeep was seen posing for "arm-wrestling" with Brij Bhushan Singh as part of the promo for his programme. The senior journalist has had to apologise and issued a clarification regarding the picture and the caption in which he called Singh "netaji".
"Sincere Apologies for putting up an arm wrestling picture with Brij Bhushan Saran Singh: it was in very poor form. However, as a politician who wields enormous clout in this part of UP and is still a factor with his son contesting the polls, I do believe it was journalistically relevant to interview him. Every Qs was asked: from the sexual harassment charges to land grab to TADA charges to admitting to shooting a person to now ensuring his son gets the ticket," said the journalist in his post.
"On the road, we will interview multiple political figures involved in the elections, good, bad and ugly. (Along with common people who remain the core of the coverage we do) The intention was not to ‘normalise’ the charges against him (far from it) but ask him the relevant political questions. The picture posted sent out the wrong message and I apologise unreservedly for the same," Sardesai further elaborated.
Earlier, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi hit out at the journalist for his post with Brij Bhushan Singh. "Why do journalists feel the need to interview those accused of harassment?" she asked in her repost of Sardesai's picture and caption.
Brij Bhushan Singh during his tenure as the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief was accused of sexual harassment and wrestlers such as Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia had protested against him. Recently, Brij Bhushan Singh was denied a ticket by the BJP and the party instead fielded his son for Lok Sabha elections 2024.
