Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday came down heavily on Yogi Aditaynath government for filing FIR against the journalist who recorded a video of schoolchildren being served salt and roti as their midday meal in Mirzapur.
Taking a shot against the UP government, Akhilesh said everyone should come together to shield the freedom of expression. "Those who took away the food of midday meal from kids in Mirzapur, have now registered FIR against the journalist. This proves that now there is a time of political encounter against the journalists. Everyone should come together for their freedom of expression."
Meanwhile, the UP Basic Education Minister Satish Dwivedi has said it is wrong to take action against journalists who report on corruption cases.
Speaking to media in Basti, UP Basic Education Minister said, “I will speak to the officers in my department and SP Mirzapur once I reach back Lucknow. I will look into the matter myself and will try to ascertain the real issues," Satish Dwivedi said.
Earlier, the accused local journalist Pawan Jaiswal had issued a video message and alleged that he was being used as a scapegoat in the case as the matter came into the notice of CM Yogi.
“I reached the spot on August 22 and informed assistant BSA Brijesh Kumar Singh before going to the school. I shot the first video on 12:07 pm when the kids were being served salt and roti. I then informed my seniors who in turn had informed District Magistrate about it. The DM then reached the spot and took action on those who were responsible,” Jaiswal said.
“The district administration, in a bid to save itself, blamed me for the entire episode and registered cases on me. This is a direct attack on journalism, I am being used as a scapegoat in the case by the administration,” added Pawan Jaiswal.
Earlier, Akhilesh Yadav had hit out at the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government’s encounter policy saying the voters should be aware of a ‘thokidar’.
Yadav, while campaigning for his wife Dimple Yadav ahead of Lok Sabha Polls in April said “You all should be aware of the chowkidar (PM Modi’s key campaign tool in this election). Last time, they came as ‘chaiwala’s and fooled people. However, there is also one ‘thokidar’ who has confused people and police and now, his own party MPs and MLAs are confused. That is why we saw a BJP MP hitting a party MLA with his shoe… ‘Thokidar’ used ‘Gangajal’ to purify the official CM’s residence after I vacated it. Imaging what he must have been doing with others.”
Journalists were targeted by the Yogi Adityanath government earlier also. Few journalists working with a news portal in Noida were arrested and booked under the Gangster act after an FIR claimed that their articles were trying to defame the Noida police and blackmail certain officers.
In Varanasi, a photojournalist was booked for recording VNS police using children to clean the ghats. Journalists have been targeted by administration In Shamli district too.
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