NDTV's Sreenivasan Jain shoots off legal notice to Twitter user for 'defamation'

It all started on December 30, 2017 with a tweet that went on to create a massive controversy and a legal battle between the Twitter user and noted journalist Sreenivasan Jain.

A Twitter user, named Rajeev Mantri, tweeted accusing former diplomat LC Jain of working against the interest of the nation. However, he did not name him in the beginning.

An Indian ambassador disgraced himself by opposing India while holding office abroad in the aftermath of Pokhran tests. Vajpayee immediately recalled him - today his son propagandizes at a TV channel for the “secular” forces. https://t.co/OvUy3FVzfm

— Rajeev Mantri (@RMantri) December 30, 2017

Soon another tweet followed and it left little to the imagination. He made it clear that he was talking about Jain, stating that he was against the Pokhran test, which got India included in the select club of nuclear nations.

Mantri tweeted a link of The Calcutta Telegraph to substantiate his claim.

For those asking, it was Indian ambassador to South Africa LC Jain https://t.co/gFZqWh5G6u “Jain was against the Pokhran tests and made no bones about telling the South Africans as much”. His son is the controversial TV journalist Sreenivasan Jain.

— Rajeev Mantri (@RMantri) December 30, 2017

In Mantri’s third tweet, he said that the very stand of Jain, in spite of being a diplomat, was about to be exploited by the then South African government at the non-aligned movement (NAM)to embarrass India internationally.

This time Mantri took the refuge in an article to back his claim.

South Africa was planning to use the NAM forum in Durban to take a stand against India’s nuclear power status - SA’s supporter in this endeavour was none other than India’s own ambassador, the certifiable traitor LC Jain. pic.twitter.com/xfUrUjXB9q

— Rajeev Mantri (@RMantri) December 30, 2017

Mantri also accused Jain's son, veteran journalist Sreenivasan Jain, of spreading ‘propaganda’.

On July 22, 2018 Sreenivasan Jain, the face of NDTV, declared that he will be taking legal action against Mantri.

So someone alerted me that @thejaggi RT'ed Tweets by some guy called @RMantri - have no idea who he is - calling my dad a traitor. I so so wish they had said to this my face. Anyway, screenshots taken. Legal action to follow. https://t.co/egH0mm6G5M

— Sreenivasan Jain (@SreenivasanJain) July 22, 2018

The journalist has shot off a legal notice asking Mantri to delete the tweets as they were defamatory and also asked him to ‘issue a public apology’.

Navdeep, @RMantri wasn't simply posting an article. He used it to call my late father a 'certified traitor'. Cannot let that pass. He needs to delete Tweets and issue public apology - chapter closed. https://t.co/1rONbpf82o

— Sreenivasan Jain (@SreenivasanJain) August 6, 2018

Currently, the nation is divided on this issue. While a large section of the public feels that it is legitimate to question someone when backed by facts, others are of the opinion that the allegations made are defamatory.

Speaking exclusively to MyNation, Mantri said, “Whatever I have tweeted are backed by facts and stories. I have received a legal notice and seeking legal advice. At the moment, I won’t like to say anything beyond that”.

Mantri also took to Twitter to say that he is being intimidated for expressing his opinion and called it an ‘attempt to stifle my voice’.

4/ I am shocked that a well-connected and powerful journalist like @SreenivasanJain is threatening me, a common citizen, with legal consequences for expressing an opinion. I see this as an attempt to stifle my voice and silence me.

— Rajeev Mantri (@RMantri) August 5, 2018

However, Sreenivasan Jain didnt reply to MyNation's queries 

Is it a simple case of freedom of expression or has it crossed the line in the name of it? What ‘legal actions’ will follow if Mantri refuses to apologise? The bigger question is, if defamation is the way to seek justice, can it be selectively used?