The Income Tax department is reported to be conducting raids on at the Dainik Bhaskar group’s premises across the country, stated multiple breaking news reports on Thursday, June 22. The raids have been going on since early morning at the media groups premises in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. However, while no official statement has been issued by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) yet Indian Express, and other media reported that tax officials have confirmed that these searches are now underway. Dainik Bhaskar is one of the largest newspaper groups in the country, and has been read widely for its extensive on ground coverage during the Covid-19 second wave. Its reporters covered the massive death toll across the country, and were one of the few media groups reporting from smaller towns and cities.

Soon after the issue of deaths due to due to acute shortage of oxygen in the second wave was raised in the Rajya Sabha and Health and Family Welfare Minister, Mansukh Mandaviya said no “reports of patients dying due to shortage of oxygen and lack of hospital facilities in the country have been received by the Ministry from any State/UT”, the Dainik Bhaskar once again put out its reports online testifying to death due to lack of oxygen in at least five cities in Madhya Pradesh alone.

ऑक्सीजन की कमी से मौत का सच: दूसरी लहर के दौरान भास्कर डिजिटल पर आईं ऐसी 5 खबरें, जो खुद ऑक्सीजन की कमी से मौत की गवाही दे रहीं हैंhttps://t.co/AJOmi8ahoy #oxygen #OxygenShortage #CoronaSecondWave

— Dainik Bhaskar (@DainikBhaskar) July 21, 2021

Over the next two days, Dainik Bhaskar’s social media handle continued to put out a series of its archival reports that showed a mirror to  the Union Government’s claims of no deaths due to lack of oxygen during the second wave. It has also been following and reporting on the Pegasus spyware scandal as well over the past few days.

पेगासस जाजूसी लिस्ट में शामिल पत्रकार बोले: सिर्फ सफाई देने से काम नहीं चलेगा, जब हम अपराधी और देशद्रोही नहीं है तो सरकार बताए कि किसके इशारे पर जासूसी हो रही थीhttps://t.co/q8fbJl6Sw0 @sandhyadwivedi1 #Pegasus #PegasusSpyware

— Dainik Bhaskar (@DainikBhaskar) July 21, 2021

Hours after its continued reportage on the two issues was amplified on social media as well, news of the raids by the Income Tax Department started flowing in on various media handles and groups. According to some reports the allegations against the media group include alleged tax evasion. At some of the cities, the searches are also being conducted in connection with a tax evasion case, at multiple locations including Promoters’ residences and offices.

The newspaper had also reported that over two thousand bodies had been found on the banks of the Ganga river, its team had reported from 27 districts, spanning 1140 kms in Uttar Pradesh. The report had flagged that the situation was the worse in  Kanpur, Unnao, Ghazipur and Ballia. Both these reports had got international attention and were followed up by all media outlets in India, and many leading ones abroad.

The paper’s Bhopal edition had also been one of the first to publish an aerial photograph, taken via a drone, of scores of funeral pyres being lit at Bhadbhada Ghat, the city’s largest crematorium, reported NewsLaundry in an analysis of the group’s coverage. The DB had headlined the story thus: “Government data on deaths is a lie, these burning pyres are telling the truth.” htt

image from newslaundry

A few days before that in Gujarat, the Divya Bhaskar called out state BJP president, CR Patil, claiming to give 5,000 remdesivir vials for free to Covid patients when the state, and the country was facing a shortage of the drug. The newspaper made his phone number public after the Chief minister Vijay Rupani told the media ‘to to ask Patil’ when questioned how such a large quantity of the drug was available with the politician when the public was struggling for it. The front page went viral.

image from social media

The raids on the media group have evoked strong reactions from beyond the media fraternity. Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh tweeted that this was “just the beginning. They would go more vindictive as opposition grows Nationally. All should get together to condemn it and fight the ModiShah duo at every level.”

पत्रकारिता पर मोदीशाह का प्रहार!! मोदीशाह का एक मात्र हथियार IT ED CBI!
मुझे विश्वास है अग्रवाल बंधु डरेंगे नहीं।

दैनिक भास्कर के विभिन्न ठिकानों पर इनकम टैक्स इन्वेस्टिगेशन विंग की छापामार कार्रवाई शुरू…

प्रेस कॉन्प्लेक्स सहित आधा दर्जन स्थानों पर मौजूद है इनकम टैक्स की टीम

— digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) July 22, 2021

Dainik Bhaskar is raided by IT Dept soon after they expose Modi Govt on Covid deaths & snooping on Opp, Judges, EC, Journalists and Activists by spyware #Pegasus.
How brazen will the Govt become? The stifling of Democracy & rights today are definitely worse than during Emergency pic.twitter.com/HaLcG88Xfo

— Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) July 22, 2021

Income Tax raids on Bharat Samachar news channel too

Income Tax raids are also being conducted  at the offices of Uttar Pradesh based news channel Bharat Samachar. According to the channel its Editor-in-Chief Brijesh Mishra’s house has been raided, as has the home of its state head Virendra Singh. These raids too bagan on Thursday morning the channel tweeted. Editor-in-Chief Brijesh Mishra told his team that the media had a Constitutional right to raise questions and that the channel is not going to be intimidated by such actions.

#Lucknow

यूपी के प्रतिष्ठित न्यूज चैनल पर IT का छापा

भारत समाचार के दफ्तर पर आईटी का छापा

एडिटर इन चीफ बृजेश मिश्रा के घर पर छापा

स्टेट हेड वीरेंद्र सिंह के घर पर भी IT की रेड

भारत समाचार के कर्मचारियों के घर पर छापा

सुबह से इनकम टैक्स टीम कर रही छापेमारी। pic.twitter.com/n7sPeCXNKA

— भारत समाचार (@bstvlive) July 22, 2021

#BharatSamachar pic.twitter.com/6VSCfqvcFM

— NDTV (@ndtv) July 22, 2021

Related

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Photo of the front page of the last edition with the notice of closer
The newspaper did not mention the reason for shutting down the edition, and instead claimed that it was shifting to digital media. 

But, there is more to the closure of DB Post than the management’s plea of just going ‘digital’, as the manner in which the decision was conveyed to the journalists was sudden.

Some of the affected journalists said that on their last working day, the management gave them three months advance ‘gross salary’ and an ‘experience certificate’ and asked them to leave.

According to sources, the company plans to shift three/four employees to its Hindi edition.

Sources in the management claimed that the owners wanted to shut the website by March 2019, and the Group’s claim of shifting to digital media was aimed at skirting  any legal obligations. More so, the editor of the website www.dbpost.com, Shashank Shekhar, who had joined Bhaskar in January 2018, resigned from his post on Monday, sources said. So far, none from the journalists’ community or the unions have protested the treatment meted out over 35 journalists by a business house like Bhaskar. Even, the government-registered Madhya Pradesh Shramjeevi Patrakar Sanghis silent on the  latest retrenchment of journalists.

Madhya Pradesh Shramjeevi Patrakar Sangh

This is not the first time, that the group has axed English journalists.  It is said the Bhaskar group, known for its Hindi newspaper, has always been quite keen on bringing out an English newspaper. So far, the management has launched four English newspapers since 1986, but has failed to run any of those. Bhaskar launched its first English newspaper with the name Daily Bhaskar in 1986 (Bhopal), National Mail in 1995 (Bhopal), DNA in 2011 (Indore) and DB Post (Bhopal) in 2016, but all these were closed down after two or three years of publication.

Senior journalists and former employees of Bhaskar blame the management’s unprofessional approach with regard to English journalism, pressure for sensational news, fabrication and exaggeration of facts as some of the reasons behind the closure of its English newspapers.

Former DB Post journalist, Shams Ur Rehman Alavi, said most English journalists found themselves as “misfits” in adapting to the Groups’ culture. The feeling is that Bhaskar management treats them “unprofessionally”.

“Journalists are mistreated. The fear of losing jobs is always looming. They (management) prefers people who silently listen without raising any questions or giving any alternative perspective. Many journalists who have the experience of working in English newspapers, do not like this and hence, resign,” he said.

Reacting to the news of DB Post’s closure, in a Facebook post, Alavi flayed the Bhaskar management as also journalist unions for their “silence” over the issue.

“No one wants to pick up a fight against Bhaskar because they feel it may jeopardise their own job prospects in group’s Hindi daily in future, but, journalists have to speak against the unruly behaviour of the newspaper managements,” he added.

Another senior journalist, Rakesh Dixit, who had worked in two English dailies of Bhaskar, alleged that the Group had an “obsession” with running a national English daily. But, every time, the management has failed to do so, because of its “unprofessional behaviour and Hindi newspaper mindset”, he added.

“The management wants quick results like Hindi newspapers in a Hindi-dominated place like Bhopal and Indore. The management puts pressure on journalists to create sensational stories,” claimed Dixit, adding that “What Bhaskar has done with the journalists is unethical and unfair. Many of them are young journalists and it will adversely impact their career. The management hasn’t given any official notification before shutting the newspaper, but there is no institution to question them. It is like opening a new shop and shutting it the next day without informing the shop workers.”

Cases against Bhaskar  Unconditional termination and transfer of journalists, unfair labour practices, wage disputes, long working hours, forced resignation have become common these days in the media industry. Very recently, hundreds journalists and workers from Press Trust of India were sacked but won the case in court. A similar case was seen in The Hindustan Times . The Bhaskar Group, too, has a history of following this trend.

From May 2016 to December 2018, a total of 365 cases have been filed by the journalists and other newspaper employees in the labour court under section 17 of Working Journalists and Other Newspaper Employees (Conditions Of service) And Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1955 and Industrial Disputes Act 1948, according to data provided by the Madhya Pradesh Labour Department, a copy of which is with NewsClick. Of total 365 cases, 99 cases have been filed against Dainik Bhaskar for unfair termination or transfers and wage disputes, as per Majithia Wage Board. Out of this, in 13 cases, the Labour Court gave judgement in support of employees and issued Revenue Recovery Certificate (RRC) of Rs 11.30 crore to the Bhaskar Group, while rest of the cases are in pending. Besides, in 2015, the Madhya Pradesh Government filed nine criminal cases against the Group for non-compliance of Majithia Wage Board recommendations. However, all the cases are pending, as per a report filed by the Madhya Pradesh Labour Commissioner Shobit Jain in the Supreme Court on September 24, 2016, a copy of which is with NewsClick. NewsClick tried to contact with the Principal Secretary of the Madhya Pradesh Labour Department, Ashwani Rai, to know his views on the cases against Bhaskar Group and what action has been taken against them so far, but despite several attempts, there was no response.

The Tale of ‘Smart Newspaper’ DB Post Dainik Bhaskar officially launched DB Post in February 2016 with a tagline – the smart newspaper – and recruited senior journalists from Hindustan Times-Bhopal on high salaries. The newspaper also transferred some of its experienced journalists from the Hindi edition, and hiked their salaries. After the launch, the paper failed to draw readers’ attention and in between many senior journalists resigned, reportedly due to the “unruly” behaviour of the management and the Editor. Bhaskar then hired a senior journalist from Mail Today  as the new Editor, with a high salary. With the entry of new editor and the paper’s “anti-establishment stand”, it picked up a pace and within a short span, its circulation rose to 30,000 in Bhopal, which is dominated by English newspapers, such as Times of India, Free Press Journal and The Hitavada. But the resignation of the senior journalists continued, primarily due the alleged “unprofessional work culture, which dented the newspaper’s image.

After initial success, the owner of the newspaper, late Ramesh Agarwal, urged the team to shift its focus on the website. Soon after, the management recruited some software engineers and social media experts to develop their website and increase their presence on digital platforms. Two-three months later, the management shut the digital department and let off all the employees of digital team.

By the end-2017, in short span of 19 months since its launch, more than 100 employees have either left DB Post or the management has reportedly forced them to leave, say sources. The newspaper’s circulation, too, has gone down to 8,000-10,000 from 30,000, sources added.

First published in Newsclick.

The post Dainik Bhaskar Shuts English Newspaper, Asks Over 35 Journalists to Leave appeared first on SabrangIndia.

 

Dainik Bhaskar, a Hindi newspaper, is more known for its large circulation in Hindi belt, however, it lacks respect and credibility. This was once again proved when the newspaper published a false report and attempted to distort the history of Bhopal. It not only played with facts but also cooked up a baseless story and published it, terming it as history. The founder of Bhopal dynasty, Nawab Dost Mohammad Khan, had helped Rani Kamlapati after her husband, Gond ruler Nizam Shah was killed–poisoned to death by his own kin–Alam Shah Gond. After her husband’s death, Rani Kamlapati sought Sardar Dost Mohammad Khan’s help. She tied rakhi on his wrist and also offered financial help.

Khan fought for her and took revenge on the Rani’s behalf. All historical records suggest that all her life, he treated her with utmost respect. However, Dainik  Bhaskar published a report in its edition on September 23. In this report, all facts were changed and a new story was told to readers, without any facts or historical sources. The paper even termed that Kamlapati took ‘jal-samadhi’. Interestingly, there was nothing to substantiate.

So no quote, no historical text was mentioned. However, the report began with, ‘Aisa bataya jata hai’ i.e. ‘It is said that…’. No wonder, the irresponsible reporting has angered citizens in Bhopal. It is clearly a disgrace. Even after decades, the paper is yet to get any credibility among masses. This is perhaps one of the reasons that why it gets little respect, unlike other papers of the region.

The post Irresponsible journalism: Dainik Bhaskar distorts Bhopal history, disrespects ‘Rakhi’ bond, publishes false story appeared first on SabrangIndia.

 
The July 13 complaint by the NWMI to the Press Council may be read below:
 
NWMI letter to PCI on Dainik Bhaskar's provocative news report
 
July 13, 2017             
To,
Hon’ble Mr. Justice Chandramauli Kumar Prasad,
Chairman, Press Council of India
New Delhi
 
 Sub: Inflammatory Headline and News Story

Hon’ble Mr Justice Chandramauli Prasad,

 This is to bring to your attention the provocative headline and news report in Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar’s Surat edition, dated July 12, 2017 (Annexure 1: screenshots). 

 The Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI) strongly condemns such reports and deplores the callous reporting and editing that produces them.

 The news story relates to the recent attack on Amarnath pilgrims. The headline on the web version translates as “Terrorists were firing at us while bystanders laughed”. The headline of the print version, which has been widely circulated on social media, translates as “In agony over shots fired by terrorists, far from helping us, people were laughing loudly”. (Annexure 1: Screenshots)

 The headline is based on a statement in the report from one Rajesh Naval, a resident of Valsad in Gujarat, who was reportedly on the bus that came under attack on July 10, 2017 near Khanabal in Jammu and Kashmir.  The headline is not only misleading, it is mischievous and divisive.

 Naval’s quote is neither prefaced nor followed by any explanation of how or where he spotted shopkeepers laughing at the passengers’ plight while the moving bus was under attack (and most people in it were, presumably, ducking for cover). The report also contradicts several press accounts of Kashmiris condemning the attacks, helping survivors and vowing not to let terror affect their hospitality or assistance to visitors. Even Home Minister Rajnath Singh has applauded the response of Kashmiris and the spirit of Kashmiriyat.

In a report in The Hindu on July 11, the driver of the bus, Salim Sheikh, stated that he drove the bus through the firing, without stopping. He also said, “We could not see anything as it was pitch black.”

A report by News18 detailed the various ways in which Kashmiris have always provided basic needs to pilgrims, while stating that many rushed to the aid of the injured pilgrims.

Reports in Greater Kashmir alluded to the tourist town of Pahalgam shutting down for a day in protest against the attack and to express solidarity with the victims. A report in Rising Kashmir quoted several survivors who thanked local Kashmiris for rushing them to the hospital.

A headline like the one in Dainik Bhaskar is particularly reprehensible in view of the current atmosphere in the country. The newspaper has failed to perform the journalistic duty of being accurate and fair and providing readers with correct information. The paper evidently preferred to distort and sensationalise a violent and tragic incident that has been widely condemned in Kashmir and in the rest of the country.

In the guise of giving readers a detailed, first-person account from people who survived the attack, the Hindi daily chose one inflammatory sentence as the provocative headline of the report. This goes against the Press Council of India’s directive stressing the need for caution while reporting on sensitive matters, including communal disputes or clashes.

The PCI specifically says that provocative and sensational headlines are to be avoided; that headings must reflect and justify the matter printed under them; and that headings containing allegations made in statements should either identify the body or the source making them or at least carry quotation marks. None of these guidelines were observed by Dainik Bhaskar in this particular headline.

According to the PCI, "News, views or comments relating to communal or religious disputes/clashes shall be published after proper verification of facts and presented with due caution and restraint in a manner which is conducive to the creation of an atmosphere congenial to communal harmony, amity and peace. Sensational, provocative and alarming headlines are to be avoided… The role of media in such situations is to be peacemakers and not abettors, to be troubleshooters and not troublemakers."

While recommending "due restraint and caution in hazarding their own opinion or conclusion in branding persons" the PCI observes, "In the zest to expose, the press should not exceed the limits of ethical caution and fair comments.”  The PCI also says, “The press shall eschew publication of inaccurate, baseless, graceless, misleading or distorted material. All sides of the core issue or subject should be reported. Unjustified rumours and surmises should not be set forth as facts.”

As an association of journalists committed to and concerned about ethical journalism, NWMI demands that Dainik Bhaskar publish a corrigendum clarifying the facts and apologising for their misleading headline, which directly contradicts multiple survivor testimonies, and desist from stoking communal fires through misleading reports and headlines.

We hope the Press Council of India will take appropriate action.

Thanking you,
Sincerely yours,

Priyanka Borpujari, Nishita Jha, Ammu Joseph and Laxmi Murthy
[On behalf of the Network of Women in Media, India] 
 
Annexure 1: screenshots of Dainik Bhaskar, July 12, 2017
 
 

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चुनाव आयोग के स्पष्ट निर्देशों के बावजूद मीडिया ने बीजेपी के प्रचार की जिम्मेदारी संभाल ली है। सीट बंटवारे को लेकर ही बीजेपी में कलह की खबरें आ रही हैं लेकिन इससे बेपरवाह मीडिया ने बीजेपी को जीत दिलानी भी शुरू कर दी है। अभी Times Now-VMR के सर्वे ने बीजेपी को 202 सीटें दिलवाकर इसका आगाज किया ही था कि दैनिक भास्कर का होर्डिंग सामने आया है। 
 
लखनऊ में दैनिक भास्कर ने अपनी होर्डिंगें लगाई हैं। ऐसा ही एक होर्डिंग लखनऊ के लोहिया पथ पर लगा है, जिसमें लिखा है…. न माया का जाल, न अखिलेश का क्लेश। 
अखबार की लाइनों पर ज्यादा जोर डालने की जरूरत ही नहीं है। बगैर कहे ही दैनिक भास्कर का यह होर्डिंग मायावती और अखिलेश को विलेन बताते हुए भारतीय जनता पार्टी का खुले तौर पर प्रचार कर रहा है। 

प्रशासन ने अभी तक इस पोस्टर पर कोई संज्ञान नहीं लिया है। वहीं भाजपा की तरफ से भी कोई बयान नहीं आया है। वहीं चुनाव आयोग की अभी इस होर्डिंग पर नजर नहीं गई है। 

आपको बता दें कि चुनाव आयोग ने नेशनल दस्तक के एक सवाल के जवाब में स्पष्ट तौर पर कहा था कि पेड न्यूज पर आयोग की नजर रहेगी। इस होर्डिंग में शब्दों से खेल कर सीधे तौर पर भाजपा को पाक साफ बताने की कोशिश की गई है। 

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