BJD MP Complains To Speaker, Accuses Odisha TV Of "Vicious Propaganda"

The controversy over Odisha Television reached parliament today, as Chandrani Murmu, the country's youngest MP, accused reporters of the channel of circulating a morphed, obscene video of her. Last week, an investigative reporter of the channel was arrested in connection with the matter. The channel has claimed that it is being targetted for criticising the state's Naveen Patnaik government over its handling of the coronavirus outbreak and the floods in August.

OTV is owned by Jagi Mangat Panda, the wife of Baijayant "Jay" Panda -- a founder member of the state's ruling Biju Janata Dal who is now a national vice-president of the BJP.

Today, Ms Murmu, the BJD's Lok Sabha member from Keonjhar, sent a notice to Speaker Om Birla, asking for breach of privilege proceedings against OTV, alleging that  they aired several fake news programmes from October 15.  

In her notice, she also said OTV reporters and others circulated a morphed, obscene video of her with a "malicious intent" to defame, harass and mentally torture her.  

On October 15, the police had arrested reporter Ramesh Rath in connection with the case. The channel pointed out that the police action had come a day after the journalist did a story on Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's aerial survey of flood-hit areas.

On the basis of an RTI reply, the channel had reported that the Chief Minister's aerial recce had lasted only 19 minutes.  

Ms Murmu said during questioning by the police, Ramesh Rath had tried to subvert the truth. Since then, the channel had aired the fabricated reports to claim that he was being targeted over the story against the Chief Minister, she said in her note to the Speaker.

The programmes aired over the last five days, she said, were meant to "change the narrative of the truth" and deny justice to her.

In a tweet today, Jay Panda targetted the Naveen Patnaik government.

"In #Odisha, there is a massive scam of hundreds of crores of rupees involving Covid money sent by Centre. Once this was exposed, State govt is now cracking down on journalists. I have made the point that this should not happen in a Constitutional democracy," his post read.