Naveen Jindal, Chairman of Jindal Power and Steel and Congress MP, today released a CD purportedly of Zee News Ltd asking for Rs 100 crore to downplay the coal scam. Jindal followed this up by writing to the Broadcast Editor’s Association (BEA) against the channel.

At a press conference here on Thursday, Jindal played the CD but left without taking any question..

Terming Naveen Jindal's media interaction as an attempt to divert attention from demand for independent probe in the Coalgate scam, Zeerejected the CD produced by Jindal.

In a statement, Zee News Editor said that “me and my colleague – Samir Ahluwalia, Editor, Zee Business – condemn and completely reject the CD produced by Mr Jindal against us. We see this as a deliberate attempt to malign and to defame us.”

“We have been the forerunner in exposing Naveen Jindal’s double standard as a politician and industrialist in Coalgate scam. To suppress the coverage that Zee News was telecasting on Coalgate, Corporate Communications team from JSPL first tried to bribe Samir Ahluwalia with Rs 25 crore which he declined straightway. This was an offer from JSPL to stop the coverage of Coalgate scam. Undeterred the JSPL team offered Zee News and Zee Business and advertising deal of Rs 100 crore, to somehow stop the coverage on air," the statement said.

And, responding to the BEA communication informing Sudhir Chaudhary, Zee News Editor, of his removal from the membership of BEA, the channel termed it a premeditated and prejudicial pronouncement by the Ethics Committee in violation of natural justice.

Jindal’s company has set up India's first mega power project in the private sector at Tamnar, Raigarh. The company has invested some Rs 4,310 crore for setting up a 1,000 MW thermal plant whose first unit started operating in December 2007 and the other three (each of 250 MW) within nine months.

This is even as other power companies have been facing Comptroller & Auditor General’s heat.

At today’s press conference, Jindal was heckled by Ramesh Agarwal, RTI Activist, who was allegedly attacked by for exposing the acquiring of land and destroying forests in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh.

Agarwal challenged Jindal to an open debate.

Agarwal flagged his recent letter to Jindal stating that “I have been at the receiving end of your terror and smear campaign for several years. My only fault is that I am standing by my rights as a citizen against your indiscriminate destruction of Raigarh’s forests and environment… I myself have been at the receiving end having been shot by your gangmen, the assailants and your officials now in police custody.”

> richa.mishra@thehindu.co.in

> vishwanath.kulkarni@thehindu.co.in

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