AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj has issued a defamation notice to Dainik Jagran for falsely reporting he was a minister in 2018–19. Despite public clarification, the paper repeated the claim. Saurabh Bharadwaj slammed Dainik Jagran’s report as defamatory and also criticised the LG office for calling it a “scam” before any investigation had even begun.
Addressing a press conference, AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj stated, “I have served a defamation notice to Dainik Jagran newspaper over a misleading report it published. On June 24, the office of the Lieutenant Governor (LG) had issued a press release stating that permission had been granted to investigate a hospital-related case. Based on this release, Dainik Jagran carried a front-page story on June 25, claiming that ‘the ACB would probe a ₹1,000 crore hospital scam involving former ministers Jain and Bharadwaj’. The report further alleged that in 2018–19, both then-ministers approved 24 hospital projects worth ₹5,590 crore.”
Criticising the LG’s press release, he added, “The Lieutenant Governor’s office should not have used the word ‘scam’ in the press note. It should have used ‘alleged scam’ or ‘accusation’, because calling it a scam even before an investigation starts is prejudicial.”
Clarifying his position, Saurabh Bharadwaj stated, “Every journalist in Delhi is well aware that I did not hold any ministerial post in the Delhi government between 2015 and 2020. Yet Dainik Jagran wrongly identified me as a minister in 2018–19. On June 26, I responded to their false report through a press note and a video released on social media, clearly stating that I was not a minister during that period. Despite this clarification, the paper again published a similar story on June 27—this time with the editor’s byline—again calling me a then-minister.”
Warning the newspaper publicly, the AAP Delhi State President said, “Even after being informed that I was not a minister in 2018–19, Dainik Jagran repeated its false reporting. I request the publication to acknowledge this error and correct it. If they fail to do so, I will file a defamation suit against them.”
He continued, “I want to tell all fellow journalists that I take no pleasure in pursuing legal action against a journalist or editor. I have issued this defamation notice with a heavy heart. But those in the field of journalism must also understand that an honest politician’s life involves tremendous sacrifice—not just by the individual, but their entire family. When someone works with integrity and sacrifice, it is unjust to brand an allegation as a scam even before an investigation begins. I hope Dainik Jagran will take responsibility for its mistake and correct it accordingly.”
