Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Anurag Dhanda has questioned the authenticity and circumstances of a video showing stubble burning in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district, alleging that the footage shared by news agency ANI appeared staged. He has called for an investigation into whether the agency’s ground team deliberately planned or orchestrated the recording.
The controversy began after ANI shared a video captioned, “Punjab: An incident of stubble burning seen in an agricultural field in Tarn Taran.” Responding to the post, Dhanda questioned the timing and camera positioning in the footage and asked whether the incident had been staged for the recording.
Anurag Dhanda Raises Questions Over ANI Footage
In his social media post, Dhanda asked whether a farmer had been waiting for the ANI camera to capture the appropriate angle before starting to burn crop residue. He used the question to challenge the circumstances under which the video was recorded.
Dhanda also questioned whether ANI had shared comparable footage of stubble burning in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, states governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He suggested that the agency’s coverage of the issue across different states should be examined.
However, his allegations have not been independently established, and the questions raised in his post do not, by themselves, prove that the video was staged.
AAP Leader Calls for Investigation Into ANI’s Ground Reporting
Dhanda directly tagged ANI and addressed the agency’s editor-in-chief, Smita Prakash, and journalist Naveen Kapoor, requesting an investigation into the matter.
He urged them to examine whether members of the agency’s ground team had intentionally planned or staged the footage. His demand places the focus on the circumstances surrounding the recording and the editorial processes used to verify and publish such videos.
The allegations raise questions about journalistic transparency and the need for news organisations to provide accurate context when reporting on sensitive public issues. Establishing whether footage has been staged would require verification of the original recording, its circumstances and any supporting evidence.
