Hitjob on Smriti Irani: IndiaSamvad, Rajdeep, Congress spokesperson falter

Author: OpIndia Staff
Publication: Opindia.com
Date: August 28, 2016
URL: http://www.opindia.com/2016/08/hitjob-on-smriti-irani-indiasamvad-rajdeep-congress-spokesperson-falter/

After being shifted from the high profile HRD Ministry to the low-key Textile Ministry, one was expecting that the hit-jobs on Smriti Irani would stop. But it wasn’t to be.

Fledgling media outlet IndiaSamvad has spread canards about Smriti Irani earlier as well. This time, it was once in the limelight again. In a report, IndiaSamvad claimed the following:

Smriti Irani went to inspect the cottage industry operated by the Textile Ministry. During the visit, Irani purchased some expensive sarees and an idol. The total bill of the shopping turned out to be approximately Rs 8 lakh.

Thereafter, the personal staff of Irani sent the bill to be paid to textile secretary Rashmi Verma. Sources told that Secretary of the ministry denied making the payment to the showroom located in the cottage industry. Verma said that the sarees were purchased for Irani’s personal use and the government will not pay for it.

This, the report claimed, led to a fight between Irani and the textile secretary. Of course all this was “source” based and most probably no confirmations were taken from any party. As usual, certain characters used this story to grind their own axes. Congress Spokesperson and someone who has always been feuding with the minister, Priyanka Chaturvedi tweeted this:

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Priyanka Chaturvedi @priyankac19
Were all the #IwearHandloom sarees that tex min wore zabardasti sponsored by the cottage emporium at the cost of the taxpayers?

If Congress spokespersons are at it, how can self-appointed AAP spokespersons be left behind? It must be remembered Rajdeep too was earlier publicly humiliated by Irani for misreporting.

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Rajdeep Sardesai @sardesairajdeep
So who is the minister who reportedly bought an 8 lakh ganesh statue from cottage industries and refused to pay for it?
4:08 pm - 28 Aug 2016 - Twitter for iPhone Mumbai, India

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Abusive and lying journalist Swati Chaturvedi went one step ahead and claimed that the secretary in fact wanted to be transferred out of the ministry:

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Swati Chaturvedi @bainjal
The secretary in the ministry has asked for another posting! https://t.co/bY4WCDdqtN
August 28, 2016
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Unfortunately for the above, the Cottage Industry Association, from where the sarees and idol were purportedly bought, issued a swift clarification:

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It clearly stated that since the minister had not purchased any item, hence the question of bill payment itself did not arise. The Ministry of Textiles also echoed the same:

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Ministry of Textiles @TexMinIndia
Rejoinder from Textiles Ministry to @india_samvadpic.twitter.com/tUChX6NF2H
August 28, 2016
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The Congress spokesperson accepted that she was mistaken. But no such acknowledgement was found on Rajdeep’s timeline. He just deleted his tweet as if he had never erred. Or was his account hacked? Like the time a mystery “hacker” hacked into his account and abused other users on social media?

So yet another media hitjob has been exposed. But will these stop? Will there be action? One thing is for sure, it appears the Government and BJP are now taking such slanderous lies seriously. Last week we saw the BJP issue a press release clearly denying an Indian Express story. Its a different matter that the daily brushed them off, but at least this is a change in stance. And in Smriti Irani’s case, one hears she might even sue. Let us see where this case ends up.