NYT refutes BJP’s ‘paid promotion’ charge; AAP challenges BJP to get such a piece published in the US daily

Hours after the BJP claimed that an article in The New York Times and Khaleej Times on Delhi’s education system is “paid promotion”, the respected US daily refuted the allegations, saying it was completely unbiased and the report on Delhi schools was based on ground realities.

Taking to Twitter, Delhi chief minister Kejriwal attached the front page of the New York Times featuring Manish Sisodia along with a news story on Delhi’s schools. Later, he said, “It is a matter of pride for the country that Manish Sisodia’s name is on the front page of the biggest newspaper of the most powerful country in the world.”

On August 18, the New York Times published a report in the front page of its international edition praising the AAP government for overhauling the education system in the national capital. It mentioned Manish Sisodia for his role in transforming government-run schools since 2015, stating that “the overhaul of the public schools in the capital of India has students clamouring to enroll”. The BJP left red-faced and attacked the international daily alleging that it was “paid promotion”.

“Our report about efforts to improve Delhi’s education system is based on impartial, on-the-ground reporting,” Nicole Tylor, the external communications director of The New York Times, told PTI.

However, the BJP was left red-faced over the publication of the news with the saffron party’s IT cell chief Amit Malviya saying that the Delhi CM’s best defence is nothing but “paid promotion”. “How is it that New York Times and Khaleej Times carry exactly the same article, word by word, authored by the same person, same pictures [that too of a private school] on Delhi’s non-existent education model?” the party said.

BJP leader Parvesh Varma held a conference and showed copies of the article published in both the newspapers, NDTV reported. “This is a photo of both the newspapers,” he said. “Both the newspapers have one reporter, the article is the same, word-to-word, the same six pictures are in both. Does that ever happen?”

Tylor reacted over it, pointing out that other publications routinely license and republish The New York Times content.

“It is laughable,” said AAP MP Raghav Chadha while reacting to the paid news charge, reported the Scroll. “No news of any BJP leader was ever printed there. BJP calls itself the biggest party in the world. It’s the richest political party. They should appear on the New York Times’ front page daily if someone can buy them.”

Another AAP’s leader Saurabh Bharadwaj challenged the BJP to get an article published in The New York Times. “I challenge them, use whatever money you have, whatever power you have,” he said.

On Friday, the Central Bureau of Investigation conducted raids at the residence of Sisodia, as well as 20 other locations, in a case related to alleged irregularities in the new excise policy. BJP leader and Union I&B Minister Anurag Thakur dubbed Sisodia an “excuse minister”, adding that the issue is not about education but the excise policy.

Kejriwal alleged that the CBI raids were on the orders “from above to harass us” and called his deputy as “the best education minister of independent India”. He said that the raids took place days after The New York Times published the article. “The biggest newspaper wrote about Delhi’s education revolution and carried Sisodia’s photograph also,” Kejriwal claimed.