NEW DELHI: She met a Hindu Jat in Muzaffarnagar who had lost a close relative in communal violence. He told her riots and violence were not the way for a people who had lived together from time immemorial and would continue to live together in the future.

She was speechless with shock and didn’t look convinced that the man was not angry, or spewing bile as they usually do on her shows.

On Sunday, Barkha Dutt apprently announced on NDTV that veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar had gone to Amritsar to support Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Arun Jaitley. Mr Nayar denied he was there to support anyone from the BJP.

A group of human rights activists met Mr Nayar to verify the facts behind the news that has gone viral on the social media. This is what N.D. Pancholi and Anil Sinha said after their meeting with Mr Nayar.

“In view of certain comments being made in social media criticising Mr Kuldip Nayar’s visit to Amritsar stating that he is campaigning for Arun Jaitley, we…met Mr Nayar today evening. Mr Nayar told us that his visit to Amritsar was a private affair for about a day.”

He did meet Arun Jaitley who is a BJP candidate in Amrtisar but he neither addressed any public meeting nor met the press nor made any public appeal to support Mr Jaitley..

“However, Barkha Dutt of NDTV met Mr Nayar in the hotel room where he was staying and requested for his bite. She asked questions about BJP, Narendra Modi and Arun Jaitley. Mr Nayar commented that BJP is a communal and divisive party and it would not be good for the country if BJP comes to power.

“About Jaitley he said that he has a good reputation, he is well read, he is best candidate, that he was with him imprisoned in Tihar jail during emergency and that he is a family member. About Narendra Modi he commented that Modi is a collateral damage and some other unpalatable remarks.”

Mr Pancholi wrote, the part of the interview where Mr Nayar dubbed BJP as communal and divisive party and not good to assume power and the other unpalatable remarks was not telecast for “reasons best known” to the NDTV.

“Barkha Dutt in her introductory comments said that there were persons who were backing Arun Jaitley without backing the party and mentioned Mr Nayar as one of those persons who was in town to support Mr Jaitley.”

The petitioners said they were pained to read certain comments being made against Mr Nayar in social media about his visit to Amritsar which in their opinion was distorted, uncalled for, unwarranted and “injustice to a person who has all throughout his life been fighting against communal and obscurantist forces”.