Prasar Bharti CEO Shashi Shekhar Declines Invitation From BBC Citing Its One-Sided Coverage Of Delhi Riots

The chief executive officer of Prasar Bharti, Shashi Shekhar has declined an offer to attend an event hosted by BBC citing the British broadcaster’s biased coverage of the recent communal violence in Delhi.

The event, to mark International Women’s Day, is being organised to felicitate Indian sportswomen.

In a letter to the Director General of BBC, Shekhar has pointed out that ground reports of the Delhi riots by the British broadcaster were “damningly silent” on the “murderous assault” on the men in uniform by a mob that resulted in death of a Head Constable while in the line of the duty and also resulted in the fatal injuries to received by a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP).

He also alleged that the report by BBC was silent on the brutal targeted murder of an Intelligence Bureau official through multiple stab wounds and whose only fault was that he happened to be a resident of the violence-hit area.

“It is dismaying that the BBC has filed such a singularly one-sided version of the incidents of the violence in Delhi which rather than help break the cycle of violence has only contributed to further vitiating the atmosphere while insinuating the brave men and women in uniform who are charged with the onerous responsibility of maintaining law and order,” the Prasar Bharti CEO said.

He further asked he BBC to “respect the sovereignty of nations” and urged it to work together with the Indian broadcaster in greater public interest.