Priyank Kharge rejects PTI apology over misquoted remarks on student protests
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Bengaluru/New Delhi: Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge has sharply criticized news agency Press Trust of India (PTI) following an apology from the outlet for misrepresenting his comments regarding the state's police constable recruitment examination.
The controversy stems from an August 2 incident where job aspirants boycotted the recruitment exam, alleging question paper delays and OMR sheet discrepancies. Following street protests and demands from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for his resignation, Kharge addressed reporters on August 3. When asked about the BJP's demands, Kharge had remarked: "Yeah, I will resign. Let them first… 25 days, let them go on hunger strike. Then if they don’t control, we will do one lathicharge, and then I will resign. Just like how they did for this thing…"
Addressing the exam disruptions, Kharge stated the issue was a "small misunderstanding" involving a handful of students who walked out with OMR sheets despite warnings that they would not be allowed to re-enter.
However, PTI misinterpreted the Minister's comments, erroneously attributing the word "aspirants" to his quote in a context that referenced past student protests at Jantar Mantar and former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
In a letter sent on Wednesday, August 5, PTI Editor (Visual Media) Shazi Zaman described the incident as an "unfortunate human error" stemming from a misunderstanding.
"We have taken corrective steps, including rectifying the mistake as well as seeking an explanation from the person concerned. We apologise for the error. We hope you would consider this matter as closed," the letter read. PTI also issued a public retraction on X.
Despite the retraction and private apology, Kharge rejected the notion that the issue was resolved, taking to social media to call out the impact of viral misreporting.
"The damage has already been done. What is the use of your apology?" Kharge posted on X. "Who is going to undo the damage now? How many creators can realistically be held accountable for spreading misinformation once it has gone viral? Responsible journalism is increasingly becoming a myth in India."