A reporter working for Zee News Haryana has alleged that the channel’s management had asked him to resign with immediate effect after his uncomfortable question (see below) to Haryana chief minister, Manohar Lal Khattar, went viral on social media platforms.

Reporter Mahender Singh told Janta Ka Reporter, ” On 19 December I had asked the question to the chief minister, which went viral by the evening the same day. Next morning my input head, Amit Sharma, asked me to return from the reporting assignment I was originally tasked with. I had an important assignment on 20 December, but was told to go home. My boss said that the cameraman will do the assignment on my behalf.”

Singh said that he wrote to his immediate boss, Dinesh Singh, but didn’t receive any clarification. So, he decided to write an email to him on 21 December.

“I didn’t get any reply, but received an email for Amit Sharma instead, who wanted me to resign with immediate effect,” said Singh

Singh said that whilst the loss of job will have huge consequences on him, but the pride is what he was left with.

He said, “Thankfully, I do have good support system in my family. My problem is that I have been not been one of those reporters who spend more time doing PR with the politicians. I never made any contact with any politician, so much so that I even refuse to put a press sticker on my vehicle.”

The video of Singh asking uncomfortable question to Khattar had gone viral. In the viral video Singh was seen asking a pointed question about Khattar’s controversial statement on note ban. Far from responding to his question, Khattar had instead started talking about a visit by a delegation from the north-east to Haryana.

The Haryana chief minister was widely mocked for his inability to answer a difficult question from an upright reporter.

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Zee News has not yet made any official statement on the development. The Zee Media group’s owner, Subhash Chandra, had recently got himself elected to the Rajya Sabha with the BJP support.

Perturbed by constant criticism for the channel’s alleged biases in favour of the bjp, Chandra had appeared on a special live TV broadcast making desperate attempts to rubbish the perceived notion.

In February, Zee News’ reporter, Vishwa Deepak, had resigned in protest against the channel’s alleged biased coverage on Kanhaiya Kumar’s arrest.