ITLF demands apology from ANI for publishing fake press release , warns of initiating legal suit

The Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum has demanded an apology from ANI for publishing a news on fake press release attributed to the forum, and urged to withdraw the story immediately with issuance of a clearly worded statement announcing the withdrawal.

In a press release on  Wednesday,the  ITLF  warned the forum would initiate a legal suit against the news agency-ANI for publishing a fake story unless it complies with ITLF requests and tenders an apology.

The forum also demanded that the Times of India and any other media houses which published the ANI fake story to immediately disable the story link and remove it from all social media posts.

ITLF stated that a fake press release attributed to the forum on July 12, 2023 was turned into a story by ANI news agency, and published by the Times of India website with the headline- “Manipur violence: Indigenous Tribal s Forum extends apology to Kuki Zo people for 'misguidance, conflict with Meitei people! Manipur violence news today: Indigenous Tribal Leader Forum extends apology to Kuki Zo people for 'misguidance, conflict with Meitei people India News - Times of India (indiatimes.com). Manipur violence: Indigenous Tribal Leader Forum extends apology to Kuki Zo people for "misguidance, conflict with Meitei people" (aninews.in).”

ITLF stated that in this period of violence and unending propaganda unleashed by the Meitei community, one wrong information/a false viral message can incite violence and get people killed. As such, it was precisely  stated on July 3, 2023  that the ITLF came out with a press statement informing the public that miscreants were indulging in forging the forum’s letterhead and releasing fabricated statements, it said.

ITLF had  also requested the media and anyone else to contact the forum or refer to its social media accounts and website for any clarification.

“But to our utter dismay, ANI storified an incredulous press statement without bothering to clarify with us or checking our website/social media accounts to see if we had actually released the statement,” ITLF said.

The tribal leaders forum, therefore, demanded a public apology from the news agency for publishing a fake story, and urged all the media houses in the Country to authenticate any press statement issued by the forum by visiting the official ITLF website or official social media accounts.