Are Outlook & Asian News International (ANI) indulging in fraud?

For the past three days, Congress leaders are outraging and filing complaints against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy for a year-old comment accusing resigned Congress President Rahul Gandhi of using cocaine. The Congress leaders started filing on a re-publication of an article by Outlook Magazine’s website on July 5 based on a feed from the Video Agency ANI. But the fact of the matter was that Swamy had made this comment on July 5, 2018, and it is interesting as to why Outlook published this one-year-old comment. Was the mischief by Outlook and ANI deliberate or was it an honest mistake?

Lacking finesse or ignorant/ stupid?

Congress leaders in Congress-ruled states (Chattisgarh, Rajasthan) started filing complaints on July 7 and some units in Delhi started protest marching to Swamy’s home too. Some were filing First Information Reports (FIRs) in different police stations, claiming that Swamy’s comments on Rahul using cocaine hurt them, incited enmity, etc. Some filed private complaints in local courts. Only Rahul Gandhi can file a defamation case, which in his lifetime he won’t dare to do.

Supporting Mrs. Badal, Subramanian Swamy said that Rahul Gandhi will never pass dope test as he is a cocaine user.

Seeing the news reports on the cases filed, Swamy responded in his own style that Rahul Gandhi should undergo dope test to prove that he is not a user of cocaine. Actually, this controversy was created by Rahul Gandhi on July 5, 2018, by saying 70 percent of the people in Punjab will not pass the dope tests as they are under the influence of alcohol and narcotics. Rahul Gandhi was welcoming Congress-led Punjab Government’s decision on conducting dope tests. Rahul Gandhi, for the past so many years has been accusing that Punjab is under the influence of alcoholism and narcotics. Immediately, Akali Dal leader and Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal shot back saying that those who demanded dope test must subject themselves to it first.

Supporting Mrs. Badal, Subramanian Swamy had said that Rahul Gandhi will never pass dope test as he is a cocaine user. Swamy also spoke to the media about the 2001 detention of Rahul Gandhi by FBI in Boston airport in the USA[1].

But the question is why Outlook rehashed a one-year-old statement as a new one. After being caught red-handed, Outlook issued a clarification on July 9, passing the buck to ANI. “The above story is actually a year old. Mr. Swamy had said this to ANI on July 5, 2018. The story came on the ANI news feed again on July 5, 2019, and Outlook desk picked it up without checking. The error is regretted,” said Outlook Magazine in a Clarification below the controversial re-published report[2].

Outlook was forced to issue a clarification after Swamy’s Tweets on July 9, saying why Congress was jumping on his old statement and calling them “tube lights”.

Congi is agitated—for what? For one year since July 5, 2018 no reaction. Then like tube lights they light up and get police to register FIR in some places. For one year they were not incited? Outlook mislead them? Now Outlook says in effect: it got the date wrong” ! Hilarious. — Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) July 9, 2019

It is foolish to file a case in various states saying I have incited the people by an alleged statement of July 5th last year!! Are Congis tube lights that they take one year to get incited? — Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) July 9, 2019

Later ANI came out with a statement that Outlook was misquoting them. “Asian News International (ANI) has not put out any news item on July 5, 2019, quoting BJP MP Subramanian Swamy as saying that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi consumes cocaine. However, Subramanian Swamy’s statement with similar allegations was made to ANI in an interview in July 2018. This statement was not recycled by ANI in July 2019 as being alleged by a Magazine,” said ANI in a statement[3].

However ANI in later paragraphs admitted their mistakes: “However, in the news item on July 7 (2019) we had said that “earlier on Friday (July 5, 2019) Swamy had alleged that Rahul Gandhi takes cocaine and he would fail Punjab Government’s prescribed dope test.”

The above statements of Outlook and ANI smack of mischief or mistake from both organisations. But why are these organisations involved in these dubious practices? And why all of a sudden Congress leaders are getting angry? Swamy accused Rahul Gandhi’s “sleepy” staffers.

@swamilion : But Buddhu’s secretariat is sleeping and not doing due diligence? — Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) July 9, 2019



Were certain people in Congress and Outlook Magazine and ANI colluding on these kinds of dirty tricks? We can’t rule out anything on this mysterious development.

It begs the question as to who in Congress ordered the local leaders across the states to file complaints. People close to Swamy allege that it is the “dirty tricks” of none other than Sonia Gandhi to somehow drag Swamy into a series of cases and play dirty games in the areas where Congress is ruling. They say the idea might be hoist attacks when Swamy reaches the courts in the states where Congress is ruling. Swamy’s legal team said that these cases won’t stand in any courts of law and will take appropriate action.

References:

[1] Was Rahul Gandhi detained by FBI? Sep 30, 2001, The Hindu

[2] Rahul Gandhi Takes Cocaine, Says BJP MP Subramanian Swamy – Jul 5, 2019, OutlookIndia.com

[3] Clarification regarding Subramanian Swamy’s comment on Rahul Gandhi – Jul 9, 2019, ANINews.in