Chandigarh: In Haryana politics, Neeraj Dhaftuar is known as a respected and capable administrator. Dhaftuar, who served as Principal OSD to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, has always demonstrated simplicity and integrity. When he was given the responsibility of the Public Relations Department in the CMO, he took a unique decision. He clearly stated that he would accept only one rupee as salary for this post. This news became a topic of discussion across Haryana, and people praised his dedication.
However, some media organizations cannot tolerate the truth. News Laundry, which claims to practice investigative journalism, launched a vile and false attack on Neeraj Dhaftuar. In a report written by journalist Prateek Goyal, it was alleged that land worth crores was allotted to Dhaftuar’s wife and son for just 75 lakh rupees. This story was made viral on social media in an attempt to tarnish the image of the Dhaftuar family.
When the truth came out, News Laundry ran away. Shortly after publishing the story, News Laundry removed the report from its website. Till date, it has neither apologized for the lie nor provided any clarification. The question arises — if the news was true, why was it removed? It is clear that this story was a tool for blackmail and defamation. News Laundry probably thought that they could extract lakhs or crores of rupees from an influential person like Dhaftuar. But they did not know that truth cannot be tarnished by fire. Fearing a defamation lawsuit, they hurriedly deleted the story.
Neeraj Dhaftuar has never done anything wrong, so the question of bowing down does not arise. He calmly trusted the truth and forced News Laundry to withdraw its lie. This incident raises serious questions about News Laundry’s credibility as a journalistic organization. On one hand, it makes tall claims, and on the other, it does not hesitate to damage the reputation of an honest officer without any evidence.
Looking at the way News Laundry fled the battlefield, it can be said that the allegations against the Dhaftuar family have been proven completely baseless. Even today, Neeraj Dhaftuar continues to serve Haryana with dedication — without any fanfare and without any greed for salary. His story is that of an upright person who fulfills his duties despite political and media pressure, maintaining a balance between his professional life and political activities.
News Laundry’s conduct in this matter is highly condemnable. Until it publicly apologizes for its lies, its credibility will remain doubtful. In this episode, Neeraj Dhaftuar has not emerged as a victim, but as a winner of truth.