India Today has responded to reports that one of its editors’ contract was terminated allegedly after she refused to delete a tweet. Angshukanta Chakravorty, Editor with DailyO was allegedly asked to put in her papers by the India Today group after she had tweeted on the need for legal action and social boycott against those news promoters who turn a blind eye in the face of violation of journalistic ethics and norms. Chakravorty says that she had tweeted in her personal capacity and had not targeted any journalist or media organisation.

Promoters turning a blind eye to hate-mongering, fake news spreading news anchors, editors, reporters and writers, or hiring them in the first place, must be tried in courts as hate speech enablers-profiteers. Must be boycotted socially by secular politicians & Industrialists.

— Angiography (@angshukanta) February 4, 2018

In its defence, Prerna Kaul Mishra, Social Media Editor, India Today told The Wire:

Angshukanta Chakravorty’s services were terminated due to breach of editorial conduct. The India Today Group prides itself in being the gold standard of credible journalism. Our Code of Conduct is sacrosanct across all our mediums, including social media. Actions contrary to our editorial ethos have no place in our organization.

India Today claims to represent the gold standard of credible journalism with a code of conduct that is sacrosanct across all our mediums, including social media. In this article, Alt News has reproduced instances where this gold standard was openly flouted by senior anchors and correspondents.

1. Rumour mongering over Paresh Mesta’s death

Paresh Mesta’s body was found floating on a lake in Uttara Kanada district in Karnataka in January 2018. India Today reported on the story claiming that Mesta had been brutally tortured, with his �?head cut open’, �?castrated’ and �?boiling oil poured over face’.

However, a document from the Department of Forensic Medicine which was released by Karnataka police categorically stated that there were no signs of castration and mutilation, and that no boiling oil had been poured on his face. India Today conducted a prime time debate on a piece of information which was absolutely and maliciously false. After Alt News pointed out that the information is fake, the story was quietly pulled down by India Today.

2. Mail Today editor spreads fake news on Kasganj violence

After violence in Kasganj, U.P on Republic Day led to the killing of Chandan Gupta, reports began to spread that apart from Gupta, another youth, Rahul Upadhyay had been killed due to the violence after he succumbed to his injuries in a hospital. Among those at the forefront of spreading this information was Abhijit Majumder, managing editor of Mail Today whose tweet was retweeted more than 1,700 times.

It turned out that the �?deceased’ person, Rahul Upadhyay was alive. He was not even at the scene of the violence on the said day. Majumder later issued a clarification and deleted his tweet but not before indulging in a fresh dose of whataboutery.

3. Cow only animal to inhale and exhale oxygen

Sweta Singh, senior anchor with Aaj Tak said that cow is the only animal which both inhales and exhales oxygen. She also listed numerous other benefits- cow milk protects from radioactive radiation, stroking a cow’s back for 15-20 minutes daily can cure blood pressure etc.

It is a universally known and acknowledged fact that aerobic creatures such as the cow inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. That such a basic scientific fact was overlooked by the channel in its reportage is shocking, at the very least.

4. 2-year old video used to report Pakistani mortar fire

�?Pak stands exposed’. �?Pak army fires mortar’. �?Pak Army targets civilians. Here’s the proof’. These were the titles used by India Today when it reported on January 22 that Indian civilians in Jammu & Kashmir had been targeted by Pakistani mortar fire along the Line of Control and the International Border. India Today gave much prominence to this story which was fronted by Gaurav Sawant.

Coward Pakistan targets Indian civilians: Time for another surgical strike?Watch #IndiaFirst with @gauravcsawant https://t.co/6xsMnBK0QF pic.twitter.com/y8z0TX6hNb

— India Today (@IndiaToday) January 23, 2018

The video in question turned out to be two years old. It was uploaded in February 2016 and was a clip of the Pakistani army firing mortars in North Waziristan as part of its �?Zarb-e-azb’ operation. Despite this, India Today broadcast the video as a �?border ground report’ by its correspondent. The Alt News report can be accessed here. The video and the report have not been removed to date.

5. Dawood Ibrahim’s property seized in UAE “UAE ke baad ab Britain mein bhi zabt hogi Dawood ki sampati, Modi sarkar active” (After UAE, Britain too will seize Dawood’s property. Modi Govt active), said a tweet by Aaj Tak in May 2017. According to Aaj Tak, underworld don Dawood…