BJP's Rajeev Chandrasekhar issues defamation notice to Kerala news channel over BPL report

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], October 30 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Kerala State President Rajeev Chandrasekhar has issued a defamation legal notice dated October 29, 2025, against Malayalam news channel Reporter and eight of its editorial and reporting staff.
The action follows the channel allegedly broadcasting false and defamatory news reports accusing him of a Rs 500 crore "theft" through illegal land deals and associating him with BPL Limited, an association he has denied.
The notice demands withdrawal of the reports, a public apology, and Rs 100 crore in damages, which Chandrasekhar has pledged for charitable causes. The BJP leader termed the reports "politically motivated" and a deliberate attempt to tarnish his reputation.
Earlier, Rajeev Chandrasekhar had alleged that there were criminal elements in the media sector in the state, and said that he would take legal action against those who spread false news against him. He claimed that he was being targeted because of his stance against corruption.
He has been critical of the LDF government in Kerala in the Sabarimala gold "theft" case.
Earlier this month, Rajeev Chandrasekhar wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking a probe by a central agency into the alleged "corruption, misappropriation, and violations" in Kerala temples, including the Sabarimala Temple, managed by Devaswom Boards.
Chandrasekhar also requested the Union Home Minister to direct a thorough audit of all Devaswom Boards by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, with the findings to be published in the public domain to identify those who have "committed crimes in our temples and enable their prosecution."
"Since the Kerala Police comes under the direct control of the Home Minister, who is also the Chief Minister, in light of the fact that the Chief Minister has publicly already declared that it is only a slip up in the court in an effort to influence the outcome of the investigation, people have no confidence in any Kerala Police Investigation of these crimes," Chandrasekhar wrote.
The case gained renewed attention after Unnikrishnan Potti, in the run-up to the TDB-sponsored Global Ayyappa Sanghamam in September, claimed that four gold-plated panels he donated in 2019 were missing. The TDB Vigilance recovered the missing panels from Potti's sister's residence in Thiruvananthapuram, leading the Kerala High Court to order a detailed SIT probe into all TDB transactions involving him. (ANI)