Jio vs COAI: War of words continue over 'public apology' demand

An aggrieved Reliance Jio on Monday said the press statement issued by Cellular Operators' Association of India (COAI) has failed to furnish the public apology that was demanded by Jio earlier in the ongoing war of words agitating the telecom sector.

In a letter to COAI Director General Rajan S. Mathews, Jio asserted that "Rather than take the requisite remedial action, the media statement not only fails to include a public apology for the injury to Reliance Jio's reputation occasioned by the Press Release, but extends the campaign of falsehood and defamation that COAI and you have maintained against Reliance Jio".

"By way of its legal notice, Reliance Jio had demanded that COAI and yourself issue a public apology and appropriate clarification in regard to false and defamatory statements contained in the Press Release," Jio said in the letter dated February 26.

A copy of the letter is available with IANS.

The COAI had on Saturday asserted that its differences were with the telecom regulator and not with any operator in particular.

Responding to Reliance Jio's 48-hour ultimatum for a public apology for its "defamatory statements" wherein COAI had said it is likely to drag the telecom regulator to the court following its recent Telecom Tariff Order (TTO), COAI maintained that "Our differences are with the orders of the Regulator and not with any specific operator. Our intention is not to aggrieve any particular operator".

Reliance had earlier termed COAI's comments "defamatory" and in a letter to COAI on February 22 said: "COAI and Rajan Mathews (Director General, COAI) are hereby called upon to issue a public apology and issue appropriate clarification expressly regretting their callous and defamatory statements through a separate press release issued no later than 48 hours from receipt of this notice."