News Tamil Nadu

“Thank You TRB Rajaa”: TNM’s Editor-In-Chief Shows Gratitude To DMK Min & IT Wing Head For “Responding” To DMK Supporters’ Attack On Shabbir

December 11, 2023
The Commune

As The News Minute’s Shabbir Ahmed reported from several localities in Chennai uncovering the failures of the DMK government in the process, a picture of a document/diary entry of a mining baron Shekhar Reddy resurfaced on social media platform X after 7 years. 

The document allegedly had details of bribes paid by Reddy to various media persons. 

TNM founder, Dhanya Rajendran, reshared a post from 2022 recounting the Income Tax search conducted at their office in October 2018. She quoted the 2022 post saying, “Guess who is circulating the fake document mentioned in the second page of this note. Shame on you.”

The original Facebook post recounted the IT raids conducted in 2018 at the TNM office. The search was part of a wider operation that also targeted The Quint, a major investor in TNM. She narrates that the “ordeal” extended over three years, with frequent I-T notices demanding explanations for every transaction above Rs 500. 

The investigation culminated in another notice in August 2021, questioning whether Dhanya had received a bribe from the mining baron Sekhar Reddy. TNM states that they eventually proved the allegation baseless, and in September 2021, the I-T Department closed the case, finding no illegal activities. 

What Was The Alleged Diary Entry About?

The photo of the diary entry shows journalists such as Shabbir Ahmed, Dhanya Rajendran, Anna Issac (who are presently with TNM) among others allegedly receiving specific amounts as bribes. 

 

Shabbir debunked the allegation with a news clipping showing the recording of his conversation with ADMK IT Wing’s Prasath telecast on Times Now in 2016. It is noteworthy that Shabbir was associated with Times Network during this period. 

The conversation goes like this:

Prasath: Hello, see this is nothing… Just some useless idiots have “readied” something like this. I put it out without knowing what the content is.. sorry… I will delete it immediately. 

Shabbir: Should you have put out something like this?

Prasath: Sorry, sorry, I didn’t know… I even asked whether this was true… I am sorry, I didn’t know… The moment I realised it was fake, I deleted it. 

Shabbir: Some Prasad or Prashant who does cinema reviews has been pushing it, calling it shocking. 

Prasath: I don’t know… I will check and have it deleted immediately. 

Shabbir: Listen, apart from this journalism and all and whatever it is, we talk to you only because we feel that you are a decent guy from the ADMK.

Prasath: That’s the thing, this is not something we have ‘readied’. This actually came to me.

Shabbir: Okay okay, someone made it, someone sent it.. but you being a responsible person, shouldn’t have done that. Someone called me, I haven’t seen it at all. You tell Prashanth also, that what he is doing is unfair and unfortunate. If we get down to this level and start trolling you…

Prasath: Please listen to me Shabbir, have I ever done anything like this? I received it as such and I did not see it properly and shared it. 

Shabbir: How do I even believe that? Anyways, you want to do all this. We have no problem. The only thing is that we talk to you because we know you, that’s all. 

Prasath: Shabbir, I am really sorry… if I had known I wouldn’t have shared this at all. I immediately deleted it. It is there in all the ADMK groups.

Shabbir: Let it be boss, that is not a problem for me. We are used to all these things but the only thing is that people we talk to on a daily basis, if you guys start doing all this, it gets me thinking. At all levels, I don’t talk to you as a journalist and you don’t talk to me like a party worker.

Prasath: If I really had a malafide intent, then would I have shared it from my own handle? Think about it.

Shabbir: It originated from your handle only. 

Prasath: Yes I posted it on my handle only, I accept it. If my intent was truly wrong, would I have used my own handle to do it? I really didn’t know. It was inadvertent. 

As these allegations resurfaced, DMK IT Wing Secretary and Minister for Industries, TRB Rajaa replied saying, “THIS has been proven to be FALSE already and IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE… The Leader will not tolerate FALSE STATEMENTS. WHATEVER the reason MUDSLINGING like this is not something DMK prescribes to.”

Dhanya Rajendran quoted this reply and said, “Thank you @TRBRajaa. I cannot tell you how important this response is. As journalists, we are threatened and harassed. Most of us have learnt to live with it. But to question integrity is vile, something I will not take lying down.”

TRB Rajaa further wrote, “The DMK will always stand by those who are affected by Misinformation and downright False Accusations. We do at times hope the media does the same by just picking up the phone to clarify. I hope there WILL BE one good outcome of this present issue. Our phones and MORE IMPORTANTLY OUR MINDS will stay open for “Constructive Criticism” and “Proactive Dialogue” between the #FourthPillar and the First “

This open adoration for each other comes at a time when Shabbir Ahmed was given death threats on X spaces by DMK supporters as well as DMK Organizational Secretary RS Bharathi’s son Sai Lakshmikanth. He was heard saying, “He is comparing that and this flood. With what do we beat this guy (Shabbir)? Just thrash him. Just like that Omjasvin (another journalist with Times of India) we’ve to thrash him. He thinks he is some revolutionary leader. Paradesi Naai (Wastrel dog). He shouldn’t be left to live in peace. Poromboke payale (wasteland).”

Dhanya Rajendran on the other hand has not taken names of RS Bharathi’s son Sai Lakshmikanth who not just abused but also blatantly called for violence against Shabbir Ahmed.

Many on social media questioned the TNM’s Editor-in-Chief whether her response would’ve been the same had such threats had come from AIADMK or the BJP.

Political commentator ‘Savukku’ Shankar pointed out that the abuse against journalists is being orchestrated by a team funded by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin’s son and DMK Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.

“Nobody has the audacity and the guts to condemn Udhayanidhi. However, she raises the issue with TRB Rajaa and he is condemning (namesake) it seems, and she is thanking him for that.“, Savukku Shankar wrote.

Here are a few other reactions to Dhanya Rajendran showing gratitude to the DMK IT Wing head.

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