Lokesh claims that the channel broadcast false news on May 28, claiming that Lokesh blamed TDP workers for the party’s poor performance.
Less than a week after the TDP government was toppled in Andhra and YS Jagan led his YSRCP to an impressive victory in the state Assembly elections, friction has arisen between the two parties. Andhra ex-CM Chandrababu Naidu’s son Nara Lokesh has claimed that Sakshi TV has been spreading fake news about him, and has demanded that Sakshi media group retract their “allegations.”
Sakshi TV and newspaper are owned by Jagan. His wife YS Bharati Reddy is the chairperson of Sakshi Publications and Sakshi TV.
On Tuesday, in a letter addressed to K Ramachandra Murthy, Editorial Director of Sakshi Media Group, Lokesh wrote that he strongly condemned the “fake news that Sakshi TV had spread against him.” “On May 28, Sakshi TV channel broadcasted breaking news quoting me as having said, “Party workers and leaders are responsible for the party’s defeat. When leaders like Galla (Jayadev) have won, why have the others lost? It’s the leaders who have betrayed Chandrababu. If EVMs have betrayed him 10%, party workers have betrayed him 90%.”
Lokesh claims in the letter that he was in Mangalagiri TDP office, taking part in celebrations of NTR Jayanti, whereas Sakshi TV had broadcasted that Lokesh had made the above-mentioned statements in the presence of his father and ex-CM Naidu and other national level TDP leaders at the NTR Jayanti celebrations at the Guntur TDP office. The 96th birth anniversary of late Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, founder of the Telugu Desam Party, was celebrated by TDP members across the state on Tuesday.
“I deeply regret the broadcast which has used manufactured news to damage my reputation. I request that under your leadership, the channel must denounce the false news that has been broadcasted. If not, I will take legal recourse for the damage caused to my reputation,” Lokesh wrote in the letter.
Lokesh also tweeted about the issue, saying, “It is unfortunate that even other media organisations are also following this toxic news spread by Sakshi. I have written a letter to the Sakshi media group Editorial Director, who is responsible for all of this, to denounce the broadcast of this fake news, to respond promptly on this issue and take action.”
సాక్షి చేసిన ఈ విషప్రచారాన్ని మిగిలిన మీడియా సంస్థలు కూడా అనుసరించడం విచారకరం. ఈ అసత్య వార్తల ప్రసారాన్ని ఖండిస్తూ ఈ విషయంలో వెంటనే స్పందించి, చర్యలు తీసుకోవాల్సిందిగా దీనంతటికీ కారణమైన సాక్షి మీడియా గ్రూప్, ఎడిటోరియల్ డైరెక్టర్ ను కోరుతూ లేఖ రాసాను. pic.twitter.com/ytewi3doYD
— Lokesh Nara (@naralokesh) May 28, 2019
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