Jindal plays clips to show Zee 'blackmail'

TV channel says evidence 'farcical', meant to deter coverage of coal block allocation scam

Naveen Jindal, chairman of Jindal Steel and Power (JSPL) and Congress leader from Haryana, on Thursday alleged the Subhash Chandra-promoted news broadcaster Zee News Ltd tried to blackmail his company and extort money. Jindal played video clips to a packed media gathering in support of JSPL’s allegation that Zee News demanded Rs 100 crore from JSPL in exchange for not airing news stories targeting the company.

JSPL has already filed an FIR with the anti-extortion cell of the crime branch of Delhi police, alleging extortion, intimidation and defamation by Zee News. JSPL has alleged Zee News’ Editor Sudhir Chaudhary offered to drop the channel’s campaign against JSPL for a Rs 100-crore advertising deal.

Jindal said he was forced to expose Zee News, despite the ongoing police investigation, as the news channel continued to air reports against JSPL from October 19 after his company refused to sign the deal. “This is a never-before attempt of extortion and blackmail against us. And, we have decided not to succumb to pressure,” said a visibly charged Jindal. “There are many victims like us. But for the first time in the country’s history, a corporate has decided to expose the truth,” he added.

The video clips showed meetings of JSPL representatives with Chaudhary and Zee Business Editor Samir Ahluwalia. A transcript quoted Chaudhary as saying to the JSPL representative, “The biggest gain is that there is no further damage.” It also quoted Ahluwalia as saying, “We should at least earmark a spending of 25 crore for four years on our entire group... the proposal which I have.”

In a release issued after Jindal's press conference, Zee News said he had presented “farcical evidence” in an attempt to divert attention from the demand for an independent probe into the coal scam. “We have been the forerunner in exposing Naveen Jindal’s double standards as a politician and industrialist in the Coalgate scam. To suppress the coverage that Zee News was telecasting on Coalgate, a 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 the scam. Undeterred, the JSPL team offered Zee News and Zee Business an advertising deal of Rs 100 crore, to somehow stop the coverage on air,” said Sudhir Chaudhary, editor, Zee News, and Samir Ahluwalia, editor, Zee Business, in a joint statement. They said there was a deliberate attempt to malign and defame them.