Reputational Attack on Mukesh Ambani and RIL by TV5 on YSR’s Death
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The news channel TV5 made direct allegations upon RIL and its Chairman, Mukesh Ambani being involved in the helicopter crash that took place on September 2. The report stated that RIL was involved in the helicopter crash that resulted in the death of YS Rajasekharan Reddy. The report was based on the claims of a less known website named “The exile”.
Following the report, violence gripped Andhra Pradesh wherein RIL properties and personnel were attacked. The Andhra police have filed a sou moto case against the Telugu news channel for inciting violence.
According to the article on TOI ,
The TV report referred to an article written by one Mark Ames, a California-born American journalist and writer, on a website, exiledonline.com titled ‘Enemy of Larry Summers Ex-Boss Dies in Mysterious Helicopter Crash.’ Summers is currently director of the White House’s National Economic Council for President Barack Obama. According to Ames, Summers worked for Mukesh Ambani, head of Reliance Industries Limited, right until he took the White House job.
After moving to Moscow in 1993, Ames started a magazine titled The Exile. In June 2008, he fled the Russian capital to Panama after being pursued by the authorities and continues to run The Exile online. The said article appeared on the website on December 31, 2009, and was flashed by the TV channel on Thursday evening.
In the article, Ames states that even as the Ambani brothers were feuding, the Andhra Pradesh government sought its due share of the hydrocarbon asset. He said YSR also attacked their mother, Kokilaben, who brokered the deal dividing up the business empire between her feuding sons. According to Ames, after saying that the gas dispute cannot be left to the mother and seeking the Centre’s intervention, YSR died in a mysterious helicopter crash.”
RIL released a statement wherein it condemned, rebutted and rejected the allegations. RIL also expressed its shock and outrage stating that the news was “false, malicious, motivated and libelous”. The statement further read, “It is the dirty handiwork of our business rivals in cohoots with TV5. However, we cannot and will not let this criminal attempt by TV5 to besmirch our reputation. We will file a criminal complaint against the channel. We also demand that the central and state governments initiate an immediate investigation into these despicable acts and bring the culprits to justice.”
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