Amid BJP vs AAP over excise policy, New York Times breaks silence on Manish Sisodia ‘paid news’ reports

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has repeatedly been taking jibes at the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) over the raids conducted against senior party leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia by the central agency CBI in relation to the excise policy case.

In the midst of this, the BJP has accused the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government of publishing a “paid article” in the renowned publication The New York Times, which released a detailed report on the revamps of the education system in the national capital.

After AAP refuted the claims of the NYT publishing “paid news” on the report featuring Manish Sisodia, the United States publication itself has come forward to issue an official statement, going against the allegations put forward by the BJP.

While speaking to the news agency NDTV, the New York Times said that the article featuring Manish Sisodia is “not an advertisement or paid for in any way”, but is actually curated on the basis of on-ground reporting done by their team.

How is it that New York Times and Khaleej Times carry exactly the same article, word by word, authored by the same person, same pictures (that too of a private school) on Delhi’s non existent education model?

Arvind Kejriwal’s best defence is nothing but paid promotion… pic.twitter.com/M3z3ZpmsKX

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 19, 2022

In the statement issued to NDTV, the newspaper said, “Our report about efforts to improve Delhi's education system is based on impartial, on-the-ground reporting, and education is an issue that The New York Times has covered over many years.”

The New York Times further added, “Journalism from The New York Times is always independent, free from political or advertiser influence. Other news outlets routinely license and republish our coverage.”

BJP leader Parvesh Varma, while addressing the media, had held up a copy of the New York Times and said, “This is a photo of both the newspapers. Both the newspapers have one reporter, the article is the same, word-to-word, and the same six pictures are in both. Does that ever happen?”

The article, which was published by the NYT and Khaleej Times, came into light just as Manish Sisodia’s property was raided by the CBI in relation to the liquor excise policy case in Delhi. The CBI has now also filed an FIR in the case, naming Sisodia as the number one accused.

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