The ABC is under fire from a diverse group of politicians – including a Labor MP – who are accusing the public broadcaster of allowing a flagship current affairs program to promote a book designed to help the political rehabilitation of Labor senator Sam Dastyari.

Veteran Labor MP Michael Danby, Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson, government minister Zed Seselja, crossbencher Cory Bernardi and Liberal backbencher James Paterson all called for the ABC to explain Monday night's episode of Australian Story, which they described as a "puff piece", "propaganda", and an "infomercial".

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has also told Fairfax Media he would ask ABC management about the program given the number of complaints he had received from colleagues.

Senator Dastyari is a prominent Labor figure who enjoyed a stunning rise in the media and Opposition as general secretary of the NSW Labor Party and then a Labor senator, until he was forced to resign from the Opposition frontbench following Fairfax Media's revelations he asked a Chinese donor to pay a personal debt.