Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami on Sunday challenged senior journalist and India TV's Rajat Sharma to face his questions on the alleged TRP scam being probed by Mumbai Police.
"I want to do one-to-one with Rajat Sharma. Rajat Sharma, call me on your channel. I want you to face me. If he asks one question, I will ask two. If he asks two, I will ask four. If he asks four, I will ask 15. You are a senior journalist and it is our culture to respect elders. But if someone lies about us, we know how to unearth truth. I want to tell this to your viewers," Goswami said.
Rajat Sharma, Editor-in-Chief of India TV had done a programme on the alleged TRP scam and had interviewed Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh.
Mumbai Police had claimed that three channels, including Arnab Goswami-headed Republic Media Network, were allegedly influencing the TRP numbers. The Republic has denied the allegations.
Attacking Singh, Goswami said the police claim has been busted by a recent email of TV ratings computing body Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC).
A Republic TV report said that BARC has not found any malpractice, or initiated any disciplinary action or found any wrong on Republic Media Network.
Mumbai Police had registered a case in the TRP scam and summoned Republic TV's chief financial officer S Sundaram for investigation. Singh had claimed that three channels including Republic TV manipulated the TRP.
The racket came to light when BARC, an organization which measures TRP, filed a complaint in this regard through Hansa Research Group Pvt Ltd, the police had said.
At least five people have been arrested by the city police which busted the scam earlier this month.
