Is An HT Editor Reporting To Amit Shah And Co?

The Frontline today has an in-depth report by journalist Akshay Deshmane that details how the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has been keeping a tab on the Delhi government. The report uses multiple Right to Information applications to reveal how the Centre has been “closely monitoring” the Arvind Kejriwal-led government — including the turf battle between former Lieutenant General Najeeb Jung and the Delhi CM — barely a month since it came to power.

Notably, the report reveals an email written by Hindustan Times Executive Editor Shishir Gupta to Bharatiya Janata Party national president Amit Shah and Officer on Special Duty in the PMO, Hiren Joshi, with the subject “KEJRIWAL AGAINST CENTRE”. The email lists 10 instances of “violations by Kejriwal”. The full text of the email does not mention why Gupta is apprising Shah and Co on Kejriwal’s supposed discretions, neither does it list a set of questions to the two that can be interpreted as a journalistic enquiry. Interestingly, the PMO acted rather swiftly on the email and ordered a “factual report” on it within five days.

This has obviously got Twitter talking about whether Gupta was passing on information to the Centre.