New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has repeatedly been taking jibes at the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) over the raids conducted against senior party leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia by the central agency CBI in relation to the excise policy case.
In the midst of this, the BJP has accused the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government of publishing a "paid article" in the renowned publication The New York Times, which released a detailed report on the revamps of the education system in the national capital.
After AAP refuted the claims of the NYT publishing "paid news" on the report featuring Manish Sisodia, the United States publication itself has come forward to issue an official statement, going against the allegations put forward by the BJP.
Rejecting the paid news charge,Nicole Tylor, a spokesperson for the newspaper on Friday said, "Our report about efforts to improve Delhi's education system is based on impartial, on-the-ground reporting, and education is an issue that The New York Times has covered over many years. Journalism from The New York Times is always independent, free from political or advertiser influence."
On Friday, the Central Bureau of Investigation searched Sisodia's home, as well as 20 other locations, in a case related to alleged irregularities in the new excise policy.
Addressing the media, BJP leader Parvesh Varma held up the New York Times and the Khaleej Times and claimed that their articles on Sisodia were identical and therefore smacked of a planted report.
By pointing out that other publications syndicate its content, the New York Times has shot down the charge.
"They are lying on national TV! The New York Times piece credits their staff (Karandeep Singh). In the Khaleej Times, it is written below the article - courtesy New York Times," AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj said. "I challenge them, use whatever money you have, whatever power you have. You try and get an article published in New York Times if you think that is possible," he added.