Bhubaneswar, Oct 19 Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Chandrani Murmu on Monday requested Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to initiate breach of privilege proceedings against Odisha TV (OTV) being run by the family of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national vice-president Baijayant 'Jay' Panda.
In a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker, Murmu accused OTV reporters of circulating a morphed and obscene video of her with a malicious intention of defaming, harassing and torturing her.
The morphed video circulation incident had taken place before the general elections in 2019 while several accused were arrested during the period.
However, senior journalist Ramesh Rath of OTV was picked up by the police here on Thursday in connection with the viral fake sex video.
"Police during investigation arrested an OTV junior reporter along with others. The OTV junior reporter named Ramesh Rath as the perpetrator of the crime. But when the police examined Ramesh Rath on 15th October, 2020, OTV attempted to subvert the truth," the MP said in the letter.
She alleged that the television channel was airing several false and fake news programmes, which are aimed at subverting truth and denying justice to her.
"Several false and fake news programmes were run on OTV from 15th October, 2020 onwards stating that Ramesh Rath was questioned since he had published a story on the Chief Minister of Odisha and not because of the morphed, obscene video of mine which was viralled," she said.
The BJD MP from Keonjhar said this attempt to change the narrative of the truth through false and fake programmes was unfortunate and sad.
"It is aimed at concealing the truth that Rath is one of the perpetrators of the crime against me. I will not dwell on the criminal investigation part and criminality as the privilege proceedings are not meant to look into that," Murmu said.
"However, my privilege as a Member of the Lok Sabha, Parliament of India has been grievously affected and violated. OTV has launched vicious and malicious propaganda with an ill intention to derail the investigation. I am tendering this notice to you, seeking your protection to ensure that the OTV channel be restrained from airing such fake and false stories with a malicious intent to save its reporter Ramesh Rath," she said.
The MP demanded strict action against the OTV and its promoters for using the media to falsify and disseminate lies in the public.
( With inputs from IANS )
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