UP Police books one senior journalist for ‘’disreputable comment’’ on CM Yogi Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh Police has booked a senior outstation journalist for claiming on Twitter that the day Tablighi Jamaat held its event in Delhi, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had insisted that a Ram Navami fair would take place as usual at Ayodhya. The FIR against The Wire editor Siddharth Varadarajan also mentioned his remark, questioning Adityanath’s participation at a religious ceremony at the Ramjanambhoomi site during the nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus. Reacting to the FIR , Varadarajan, the founding editor of the WEEK and a vocal critic of the ruling BJP, called the FIR “politically motivated”. He later clarified it was Acharya Paramhans, Hindutva stalwart and head of the official Ayodhya temple trust, who said Ram would protect devotees from coronavirus, and not Adityanath, though he allowed a public event on 25/3 in defiance of the lockdown and took part himself.”Faizabad Kotwali police station in-charge Nitish Kumar Shrivastava registered the FIR under sections 188 (disobeying an order duly promulgated by public servant) and 505(2) (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code, saying he had made “disreputable” comment against the chief minister. “A bare perusal of the FIR shows that it is politically motivated and the offenses invoked are not even remotely made out. The registration of the FIR is a blatant attack on the freedom of the press, “Varadarajan commented on Twitter. (Image courtesy :Patrika)
