India’s government-owned public broadcaster Doordarshan News has ignited controversy after allegedly defending allegations of scam against Gautam Adani, the chairman of the Adani Group in its programmes. This has brought criticism of the neutrality of a public broadcaster in a politically sensitive atmosphere.
Controversial coverage of Adani
DD News on Thursday evening aired a program “5 ki Panchayat” that appeared to defend the billionaire amidst serious accusations, including bribery, fraud etc, recently highlighted by the United States Department of Justice.
On its X-page, DD News shared a photo of the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi with the phrase “Rahul Dances with foreign toolkit”, insulting that his criticisms are part of a foreign-influenced agenda targeting Adani and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In a caption, the DD News wrote, “In the name of Adani..’ Tool Kit’ at work…! Adani is an excuse…why target PM Modi? Rahul’s frustration…is there hope from the ‘toolkit’? Rahul’s new plan to disturb the dignity of Parliament? Targeting the country’s politics with a foreign flavour?”.
Instead of facing allegations of corporate fraud, DD News program framing has been deciphered as an attempt to downplay the grave allegations against Adani while shifting blame towards opposition political leaders particularly Rahul Gandhi.
Critics argue
Critics argue that this coverage not only supports Adani but also strengthens the BJP’s narrative that the case is a broader conspiracy to defame Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his close allies.
Critics have slammed the public broadcast channel for its reporting, with many accusing DD News of acting as a mouthpiece for the BJP rather than fulfilling its role as a neutral public broadcaster.
Earlier in April, observers pointed out that the channel changed its logo from black to saffron colour, often associated with right-wing politics in India. Although DD News sought to downplay the colour change as nothing more than an update of a logo and did not reflect a shift in editorial bias. However, the outlet’s credibility remains in question among the public.
Public reaction
“This is a taxpayer-funded public broadcaster but it looks like the TV channel of the Bajrang Dal or ‘OpIndia'”, wrote Siddharth Varadarajan, prominent journalist and editor-in-chief of The Wire.
“What have these wretched people done to the government DD News.. It was once our pride”, wrote a Congress worker, Srinivas BV.
“This is DD News… Targeting opposition for Adani. Look at their language… “Videshi Toolkit”, “Thiraktey Rahul”.Is this a national news channel anymore?”, wrote one X user.
Gautam Adani case
Gautam Adani, founder of the Adani Group, which ranks among the top three industrial conglomerates in India is facing an arrest warrant in connection with a USD 265 million bribery and fraud scheme.
He has been charged by US prosecutors for allegedly being part of a scheme to pay over USD 250 million (approximately Rs 2,100 crore) in bribes to Indian officials in exchange for favourable terms in solar power contracts.
The criminal indictment, filed by the US Department of Justice in a New York court, accuses him and seven others, including his nephew Sagar Adani, of paying bribes to unidentified state government officials of five states including Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
The alleged scheme aimed to secure expensive solar power deals, potentially generating profits of more than USD 2 billion over 20 years.
According to court records cited by Reuters, arrest warrants have been issued against Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani in the US. Prosecutors plan to hand these warrants over to foreign law enforcement agencies for further action.
Following the allegations, Adani Group stocks experienced a sharp decline. Adani Enterprises and Adani Energy dropped by 20% each, while other group companies, including Adani Green Energy and Adani Total Gas, also faced significant losses.
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