Now, journalist plays ‘victim’ card; police target critics
Asianet again is in news for all reasons. This time, too, for peddling fake news. Asianet Thrissur Bureau chief Priya Ilavalli Madom has recently given a fake news report against ancient Narasimhamurthi temple at Pazhiyottumuri, Thrissur, alleging that the temple authorities had organised Bhagavatha Parayanam (Bhagavatha Recital) attended by over 100 people violating lockdown norms. Based on the report, the police visited the temple and arrested staff members and office-bearers. Her husband Afzal, who has sympathies with radical Jamaat-e-Islami, is also involved in spreading canards against the temple, said temple authorities.
The reason for Priya’s ire against the temple is that it belonged to her ancestral family, which had left it to the ruins. Upset with the state of affairs, the locals and Kshetra Samrakshana Samiti took charge and renovated the temple.
Priya and her husband had to face a lot of onslaught on social media, after it turned out that the report, they had given turned to be fake. Devotees in large numbers protested against the fake news of Asianet.
According to temple authorities, this is not the first time that Priya and Afzal and his family were targeting the temple. Now, with temple in good shape, the CPI(M) and these vested interests also want to grab the temple administration, says a report.
Meanwhile, the temple authorities say that the police have been harassing them. Fake cases have been registered against people who had voiced their opinion on the fake and malicious campaign against the temple.
BJP MP Suresh Gopi’s actor-son slams Asianet
Film actor and BJP MP Suresh Gopi’s son Gokul Suresh has slammed the Asianet for distorting his remarks on arbitrary donation of Guruvayur Temple fund to Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to “trigger communal unrest” in the state.
“An absolutely dishonest interpretation from an influential medium to condemn communal violence! Journalism and news reporting at its worst! To Asianet News and whoever published all these, this is unethical and completely unprofessional! My idealism won’t make way to your misleading facts and cook ups,” wrote Gokul Suresh.
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