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Press Club of India hits back at Vivek Agnihotri, says no booking made

After 'The Kashmir Files' maker Vivek Agnihotri accused Delhi-based Press Club of India of having cancelled his booking for a press conference, the media body has refuted the allegations and sought to set the record straight. 

Press Club of India hits back at The Kashmir Files maker Vivek Agnihotri, says no booking made
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New Delhi, First Published May 4, 2022, 8:11 PM IST

After 'The Kashmir Files' maker Vivek Agnihotri accused Delhi-based Press Club of India of having cancelled his booking for a press conference, the media body has refuted the allegations and sought to set the record straight. 

Earlier in the day, Agnihotri posted a message on Twitter, saying: "Wow! @PCITweets also cancelled me. The watchdogs of democracy and the messiah of free speech not only banned me undemocratically but are also lying through their teeth. 1. Encl are the facts. 2. They have booked earlier through our agency without any member’s recco. Receipt encl."

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The allegation came a day after 'The Kashmir Files' maker accused the Foreign Correspondents Club of undemocratically cancelling his briefing to discuss the Kashmiri Hindu Genocide. The briefing was cancelled, according to him, because of the pressure exerted by "powerful agenda-driven media".

In his Twitter post on Wednesday, Agnihotri also enclosed a PCI receipt of Rs 20,000, which was paid on March 10 by an agency named TRZY Innovations for a press conference to be held on March 15. 

As per the PCI rules, the booking can only be confirmed after a member recommends it.  

In a statement, the Press Club of India said, "The agency may have spoken to our Office Secretary for a booking. However, the PCI is not in receipt of any application for booking for a press conference on his (Vivek Agnihotri) behalf for any event on May 5, 2022."

The PCI came up with a statement following multiple claims made by the filmmaker since May 3. 

Putting the facts in order, the PCI stated, "As regards the booking on March 10, we reiterate that bookings can only be confirmed upon getting a member's signature. The receipt of March 10, referred to in the tweet, was for another event. The applicant cancelled the booking before they could submit a signature and the money was refunded."

The Press Club of India also enclosed an application submitted by the agency to cancel the booking. 

"The Press Club of India is not facilitating any event on May 5 by any individual or organisation. The Club allows press conferences only with advanced booking. There is a due process, and bookings have to be done through a member of the Club," PCI Secretary-General Vinay Kumar said. 

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