New Delhi, February 10, 2007
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1924845,0008.htm
Ezboard inc has apologised for posting "scurrilous
and perverse" allegations against Amethi
MP Rahul Gandhi. This was in response to a legal
notice Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi had
recently settled, on behalf of Rahul, to Ezboard
inc and Rohit Vyasman of hinduunity.org at their
US addresses, warning them of prosecution for
their "wild and irresponsible behaviour".
While apologising, Ezboard said that it had
not authored the write-up. It also said that
it has closed the website which posted the article.
But there has been no response so far from
Vyasman or hi! nduunity.com that is reportedly
closely linked to Bajrang Dal. However, the
RSS has distanced itself from this site and
even informed the Congress leadership that they
have had nothing to do with it.
The Rahul case is the fourth major controversy
dealing with the Gandhi family that Singhvi
has been called upon to tackle in recent months.
Last year, he had organised a legal notice against
a website which put out some slanderous material
on Feroze Gandhi. Within weeks, an apology came
and the website was closed.
In July 2006, a legal notice was sent to film
producer Jagmohan Mundhra for trying to make
a film based on a journalist's book on Sonia
Gandhi. Mundhra clarified that he had no intention
of producing the film. Later on, Singhvi organised
a meeting between Mundhra and Sonia. On his
part, the journalist wrote to Penguin, his publisher,
that the book was not meant to be used for producing
a film.
Last month, Singhvi had sent a legal notice
to Newsweek for "several inaccuracies"
in an article they carried on Rahul. The magazine
tendered an apology and admitted it had erred
in reporting that the Amethi MP had failed to
earn a degree while studying at Cambridge and
Harward and that he did not stick with the Monitor
job for very long.
"These were four recent and sensitive
issues, more so because they were outrageously
false and intended to misinform and mislead.
I am particularly happy that extremely expeditious
closure has been achieved without unnecessary
waste of time and resources or protracted litigation,"
said Singhvi.
