TCN News
Jamia Millia Islamia students and Anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) activists Aysha Renna and Ladeeda Farzana have sent legal notices to the RSS-sponsored news portal OpIndia accusing them of false reporting and participating in the February Northeast Delhi violence.
According to the legal notice, OpIndia has been actively involved in “dishonesty in reporting news” and “doing unprofessional media activity” owing to its wide circulation across the country. The notices mention that the majority of its news reports are prima facie defamatory to both Aysha and Ladeeda and have caused “huge mental agony, loss of reputation and goodwill” among their well-wishers and the general public.
The two student activists have further alleged that OpIndia, enjoying extensive readership due to its proximity to RSS, has been publishing fake news and anti-Muslim rhetoric as well as propagating a false narrative against both the activists in the wake of the Jamia incident of police brutality. Additionally, the news website has even engaged all out through their social media posts and public speeches in attempts to misinterpret and use the leaders’ words out of context to draw false inferences. In the light of these accusations, the activists have demanded OpIndia to tender an unconditional apology and Rs 50 lakh compensation.
The legal notice by Aysha and Ladeeda conclude that OpIndia is “liable to be punished as per Section 499 and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code,” concluding as: “Your deeds and words imputed a defamatory statement against my client (Ladeeda Farzana), which is intended to harm and lower the reputation of my client (Ladeeda Farzana) and consequently defame my client (Ladeeda Farzana). Even though the loss and hardship cannot be quantified in terms of money, my client (Ladeeda Farzana) estimates the same at Rs.50,00,000 (Rupees Fifty Lakhs Only). You and your properties are liable for the said claim and you are directed to pay the said amount within 7 days from the receipt of this notice and also tender an unconditional apology to my client (Ladeeda Farzana) and withdraw the Facebook post unconditionally,” the legal notice read.