By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR/KENDRAPARA: With FIRs and Counter FIRs were being exchanged between OTV, Capital Police and BMC over a viral video containing COVID-19 mismanagement, that was telecasted by the said Odia TV channel, owned by family members of BJP National VP-Spokesperson, Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda, his political opponent and Kendrapara’s BJD Lok Sabha MP, Anubhav Mohanty has alleged that the personal and political agenda of the media house, damaged Odisha’s development.
“I know that few might not agree with me but trust me please, I’m honest. This OTV is deeply responsible for the delay in our motherland’s actual development only because of personal political dreams and personal political agenda,” Kendrapara MP, Mohanty wrote in a Facebook post.
The MP Mohanty further went on to added in his social media post “I was someone who had an habit of asking hoteliers whether they have the facility of providing OTV channel in their rooms or not. Have paid extra several times to see the news by this particular channel. But later I realised extreme strongly that this is the worst channel ever in our motherland Odisha,”.
“I feel ashamed that in past I have even worked with them. I’m a responsible youth leader and I can never ever dare to mislead my youth of Odisha. I just want to say them with every sincerity, love and honesty, let us all take an oath of banning this anti-Odisha News channel,” the BJD MP Mohanty wrote.
BJP National VP-Spokesperson Panda, who had lost to BJD MP Mohanty from Kendrapara in 2019 polls, however had earlier alleged that some IAS officers involved in COVID-19 scam were not responding summons issued by Lokpal after 2 person arrested in connection with the viral video clip
Meanwile, in the ongoing row over viral audio on COVID-19 mismanagement, the officials of OTV have lodged a complaint against Capital Police Station IIC Girija Chakrabarty.
The OTV officials urged DCP Umashankar Mishra to lodge a complaint against Capital PS IIC, Girija Chakrabarty, under Sections 166, 167, 193, 218 of the IPC.The news channel appraised the DCP that the IIC of Capital Police Station served notice late at night but gave no time to respond, which account for a clear violation of the directions of Punjab and Haryana High Courts.
Earlier, Commissionerate Police had asked the television channel to submit documents related to the viral audio on COVID-19 mismanagement. The TV channels alleged that the concerned IIC of the Capital PS did not accept the documents from its Public Relations Officer.
It may be noted that OTV had posted the audio clip of two persons in conversation with each other on COVID mismanagement on August 6. However, the BMC authorities refuted the claims and later issued a show-cause notice to OTV. The BMC had also filed a police complaint in this connection.
