SHARANYA KANVILKAR writes from Bombay: Last month, India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, and its most powerful business house, Reliance Industries, shot off a seven-page legal notice to several TV news channels for airing anti-corruption activist Arvind Kejriwal‘s allegations against them in October and November last year.
Surprisingly, or perhaps not, neither Kejriwal nor his advocate-partner, Prashant Bhushan, heard from RIL’s lawyers, A.S. Dayal & Associates, on their charges of Ambani’s Swiss bank accounts and hanky-panky in the Krishna-Godavari basin by RIL, which were covered “live” by the TV channels.
Not surprisingly, or perhaps not, Kejriwal is now believed to have written to Mukesh Ambani, who is now also a media player, urging him inter alia to stop “threatening the media”. Excerpts:
***
Shri Mukesh Ambaniji
Recently you have sent a legal notice to all TV channels in the county. Their fault is that they “live” telecast the press conference addressed by Prashant Bhushan and me on 31 October 2012 and 9 November 2012.
We, in our press conferences, informed the citizens of India on how you illegally pressured the government for a hike in fuel prices. Our expose was covered “live” by many TV channels.
You have sent them a legal notice for defamation suit.
I am not able to understand this.
If you have been defamed by Prashant Bhushan and me, then we are at fault. Why has the notice been sent to TV channels and not us? This clearly reveals that your motive was to exert pressure on the TV channels….
According to your company, the “live” telecast by TV channels is a case of defamation.
Just think through: is it really me or Prashant Bhushan or the TV channels who have defamed you, or have you yourself defamed your image by your acts?
I request you do not try to threaten the media of this country.
There could be a few people in the media who are biased; they can follow you.
Still, there are many journalists who work for this country. They will not be influenced by you. History is witness that such journalists come forward to save democracy.
There could be some media houses where you could have directly or indirectly invested money; they could come under your control. But the journalists working for them will not.
Yours, etc
Arvind Kejriwal
***
Photograph: courtesy IBN Live
***
Also read: ‘RIL has no direct stake in media companies’
Mint says SEBI looking into RIL-Network18/TV18-ETV deal
Rajya Sabha TV tears into RIL-Network18-ETV deal
Will RIL-TV18-ETV deal win SEBI, CCI approval?
The sudden rise of Mukesh Ambani, media mogul
The Indian Express, Reliance & Shekhar Gupta
IJR 
That’s courageous. I like this man’s spirit. May there be more like him.
thats truly awesome, we support you from new york.
Guess atleast worldmedia starts airing you live henceforth, maybe on bbc and cnn. This is ridiculous how can somebody threaten media in a democracy with uplink /downlink?
Why has Prashant Bhushan not signed the letter ?
The coward Mukesh Ambani is one of the real culprits behind the corruption-led high inflation in the country.
Must be charged and tried in the court of law.
Absolutely right. Ambani should sue Kejriwal and not the TV channels.The fact that Ambani is not doing so itself proves that he is corrupt.
one person control a indian media. mr ambani
Legal notice, what legal drama, courts take years to give
justice. The politicians and rich have by design killed judiciary,
so that they can not be punished. It cuts both ways. If there was a
proper legal system with fair and prompt justice, India could solve
most of it’s problem.
This is unbelievable. Ambanis control the media so strong
that nothing has appeared in the news media ACROSS all the channels
till this hour! I am really surprised. The world must take notice
of this event. IS THE MEDIA IN INDIA REALLY FREE?
Yeah MA knows that he can’t purchase the honesty of AK
& PB by his money power.