Rajdeep Sardesai Apologises 14 Years Later For Fake News Report Against Ex-BJP Councillor [Watch]

New Delhi: Fourteen years after a televised sting accused a BJP leader of corruption, senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai on Monday issued an unconditional apology, admitting that the allegations were false and unverified.

Sardesai, in a video message shared on Instagram, acknowledged that the 2011 programme titled “Dilli’s Double Agents”, aired on IBN7 in collaboration with Cobrapost, wrongly implicated Ajit Singh Tokas, then a BJP councillor from Munirka. He admitted that there was “no evidence to support the claims” made in the segment and that Tokas had, in fact, “rejected multiple offers of gratification”.

Sardesai expressed regret for the reputational harm caused, adding that the editorial oversight at the time was inadequate. “I deeply regret the distress caused to Mr Tokas and his family. As the anchor of the show, I take moral responsibility even though the sting was produced externally,” he said.

The apology marks a significant turnaround, coming 14 years after the report was first aired — a piece that Tokas had consistently termed as “malicious and fabricated”.

No response yet from Tokas As of Monday evening, Ajit Singh Tokas had not issued a public response to Sardesai’s apology. The BJP leader, who has maintained a low profile in recent years, had earlier accused the channel of “tarnishing reputations for TRPs” and had sought a formal apology as early as 2012.

 

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Earlier controversies and apologies

This is not the first time Rajdeep Sardesai has found himself in controversy over editorial missteps. Over the years, several of his reports and statements have drawn sharp criticism, often followed by retractions or clarifications.

Sohrabuddin case apology (2019)

In 2019, Sardesai apologised unconditionally to IPS officer Rajiv Trivedi for a 2007 CNN-IBN broadcast that had falsely accused the officer of aiding Sohrabuddin Sheikh’s alleged abduction. The apology came more than a decade after the original programme aired, and the case was closed after the acknowledgment of error.

Cash-for-vote sting suppression

He was also accused of allegedly withholding a sting operation that reportedly exposed attempts to bribe MPs during the 2008 trust vote under the UPA government. Former colleagues claimed the footage was not aired under his editorial leadership — an allegation Sardesai has not publicly denied or addressed in detail. “The sting operation had captured money transactions allegedly made to save the Manmohan Singh-led government. After viewing the footage, Sardesai decided to review it before telecasting. Under the guise of this “review,” he withheld the footage for several months, and the UPA government survived. Soon after, Rajdeep Sardesai was awarded the Padma Shri,” according to the OpIndia.

‘Made in China’ Statue of Unity claim

Sardesai had claimed that Gujarat’s Statue of Unity was “made in China”. Larsen & Toubro, the project contractor, later clarified that only a minor portion of bronze cladding was imported while the statue was fully built in India. The journalist was accused of spreading misinformation.

CAA protests coverage

During the Citizenship Amendment Act protests, Sardesai stated that the government sought public debate only after passing the law — a claim many critics called misleading. His framing of the issue was widely debated as partisan.

Insensitive ‘great day’ remark

In a 2018 interview, he described the day of the 2001 Parliament attack as a “great day” for journalism, saying it offered “action and drama.” The comment drew outrage for being insensitive towards the victims and security personnel who died in the attack.

COVID-19 and other factual errors

During the pandemic, Sardesai was repeatedly fact-checked for spreading misinformation, including claims about stipend delays for medical interns and a starvation death wrongly attributed to government negligence. Many of his social media posts were later deleted or corrected.

Manipulated interview controversy

He also drew criticism for a manipulated interview clip of spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, which was aired on his show. Following backlash, Sardesai issued an on-air apology and promised tighter editorial scrutiny.