Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Tuesday moved the Election Commission of India and the Press council of India against The Tribune alleging that it indulged in “paid news”.

The party accused the newspaper run by a trust of “blatant violation of model code of conduct and directions of Election

Commission by publication or issuance of surrogate advertisements or paid news in the garb of collusive and repeated news reports or articles in ‘The Tribune’ and ‘The Punjabi Tribune’ newspapers to denigrate Shiromani Akali Dal party, its president Sukhbir Singh Badal and its leaders”.

Akali Dal, in its complaint, has demanded to penalise Congress leader Captain Amarinder Singh at whose apparent collusion the news reports or articles have manifested into paid news and to add its expenditure in his election expenses.

The complaint read that the “series of news reports appearing at the time of elections are intended to unduly influence the voters and to denigrate the SAD and its leaders and the family of Sukhbir Badal, specifically”.

The party also stated that a “similar collusive campaign of malicious and defamatory news reports” were got published in the same newspaper(s) on the eve of 2012 state assembly elections.

“Captain Amarinder was the president of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee and it is a well known fact that the trustees of The Tribune are close friends and aides of Captain Amarinder Singh,” read the complaint.

The Tribune has been running an investigative series of stories highlighting the “booming” business of the Badal family in the sectors of transport, hotels, among others. Peeved, Sukhbir hit out at The Tribune saying the newspaper has “become a mouthpiece of the Congress”. Terming it as “deliberate conspiracy… aimed at hitting the Badal family on the eve of the Parliamentary elections”, he alleged that the newspaper has “allowed itself to be hijacked by Punjab Congress leader Captain Amarinder Singh”.

The Tribune Editor-in-chief Raj Chengappa refuted outright all such allegations. “The present series on business interests of members of Punjab Cabinet and their families is the result of an investigation conducted over a period, and is entirely based on documentary evidence,” he said.

He added that once all information required, along with evidence, had been collected and verified, The Tribune saw it prudent to not withhold it from its readers….The Tribune has at all times upheld the highest traditions of unbiased, fair and credible journalism.