(October 15, 2013): While talking to Harpreet Singh (host of Radio Program Safar) Sikh journalist S. Jarnail Singh challenged the ABPNews’ docu-drama Pradhanmatri (Episode 14). The recent episode of Pradhanmantri was on attack by Indian army on Sikh Gurdwaras including Harmandar Sahib in Amritsar in June 1984. The attack was ordered by contemporary Indian Prime Minsiter Indira Gandhi’s regime and it was code named by Indian army as “Operation Blue Star”.
S. Jarnail Singh has exposed ABPNews’ that the channel presented a 2013 protest photos as a photo of protest by Sikhs in 1978. The photo that features Journalist Jarnail Singh dates back to May 2013 when Sikhs held a massive protest outside Karkardooma Court in Delhi that had acquitted Sikh genocide accused Indian politician Sajjan Kumar.
In ABPNews’ drama Pradhanmatri (Episode 19) this photo was used at 06:26 (mins) and it was claimed that this was the photo of protest by “hard-liner” Sikhs against the acquittal of then Nirankari head Gurbachan after April 1978 massacre of 13 Sikhs by Nirankaris.
Journalist Jarnail Singh has flayed Indian media for distorting facts so as to show Sikhs in bad light. He said that the Sikh were being presented in bad light and were termed as “hard-liners” etc. whenever they protest against injustices meted out to the Sikh nation in India.
He said that the Pradhanmanti (Episode 19) by ABPNews was a bundle of lies. The Channel has attempted to re-produce state propaganda against the Sikhs in a dramatic way, while the true facts have either been ignored or distorted to fulfil it’s ulterior motives.