ORG wants Times Now to not use ORG acronym, raises no question on authenticity of exit polls

Anisha Sheth | The News Minute | 5.50 pm ISTThe #MegaExitPolls by Times Now has been mired in controversy after a leading research group called ORG raised a protest saying that they had not done any exit polls for the channel, and it was being done by a different group using the same acronym (ORG)In a communication sent to Times Now’s Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami on Monday, the Managing Director of Operations Research Group Pvt. Ltd or (ORG) Debasish Banerjee asked Times Now to refrain from using the acronym ORG while telecasting the polls and instead use the full name of the company which conducted the exit polls.The exit polls for Times Now was conducted by a company called Operations Research Guild India Pvt Ltd or ORG-India headed by Mr Amit Roy.Debashish Banerjee told The News Minute that he wanted Times Now to refrain from using the acronym “ORG” as his company was better known by the acronym.Debasish Banerjee, however seemed to have no complaints about the authenticity of the exit poll done by ORG India. He said he did not want to comment on allegations that the polls were fake and his only concern was to distance his organization from the poll.He said that his company’s logo which contained the acronym ORG, was registered with the Registrar of Trademarks in Mumbai. He said that the company he represented conducted research for electronic media both in India and abroad, and that should something go “awry”, people would perceive the involvement of his company.Asked about Amit Roy’s claim that there was no trademark violation, Banerjee said: “We have a trademark and logo registered with Registrar of Trademarks in Bombay (Mumbai) and a trademark certificate. If that is not enough for Mr. Amit Roy, then maybe is wiser than me.”Asked if ORG would consider complaining to the Registrar of Trademarks, Banerjee said that any action would have to be taken in consultation with the board of directors.Banerjee said that he had written to Times Now Editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami on Monday evening, enclosing a scanned copy of the trademark certificate, asking that the channel stop using the acronym ORG, and instead, use the full name of the company which had conducted the polls for Times Now. Banerjee said that he had received no response from the channel.