WILL SUE WEB PORTAL THE WIRE FOR DEFAMATION, SAYS BJP’S MALVIYA

NEW DELHI: The BJP’s IT department head, Amit Malviya, on Thursday said he will file criminal and civil proceedings against news portal The Wire for using “forged documents with a view to malign and tarnish” his reputation.

Malviya’s decision came after The Wire, in a series of news reports which were later retracted, alleged that Meta – parent company of social media giants WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram – accorded special privileges to Malviya that enabled him to get posts removed from its platforms.

“After consultation with my lawyers and seeking their advice, I have decided to file criminal and civil proceedings against The Wire. Not only will I be setting the criminal process in motion but I will also sue them in civil court seeking damages as they forged documents with a view to malign and tarnish my reputation,” Malviya said in a statement.

The Wire, in a statement, said: “In the life of any publication, an occasion may come when it is misinformed... The malintent to discredit The Wire is obvious. Other than this, we have nothing to say.”