Amid heated discussions on the controversial Mumbai meat ban and Rakesh Maria’s promotion to DG, Home Guards in the middle of the infamous Sheena Bora murder investigation, senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai took on the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, in an open letter published by Hindustan Times.
Sardesai contested three decisions of the Fadnavis government – the four-day Mumbai meat ban, the transfer of Rakesh Maria and the subsequent announcement that he would continue to investigate the Sheena Bora murder case, and a recent circular outlining guidelines for the police while making arrests on sedition charges.
He also expressed concern about the state of farmers, especially in drought-prone districts.
Like our Prime Minister, you have been peripatetic in the last year: making several trips across the world. May I urge you to spend the next few months singularly focusing on the needs of farmers of Maharashtra. Don’t worry about the food on my plate or what happens in the Sheena case, the agony of the farmer should give you sleepless nights.
— Rajdeep Sardesai
The CM replied to Sardesai in his own open letter, addressing the latter’s concerns in the same structured manner in which they had been presented.
Normally I don’t reply to every open letter by ‘senior’ journalists but this time I thought if I didn’t, the Goebbels law — speak what is untrue several times over and it becomes the truth — may prevail. Your letter is an excellent example of how a section of the media, without having sound knowledge, bashes a government with an agenda.
— Devendra Fadnavis
In fact, the CM’s response led to the trend #DevendraSlapsRajdeep on Twitter.
Rajdeep Sardesai tweeted as well, saying the response was a healthy sign for democracy and that the two would just have to agree to disagree.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)