AAP, BJP leaders refuse to give answers on crucial issues
By Jag Mohan Thaken
When a journalist asked questions to BJP leader and Madhya Pradesh Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, over the death of 10 kids in Indore by drinking contaminated water, he snapped at the reporter, saying, “Don’t ask a worthless (fokat) question.” With the reporter pressing for answers, Vijayvargiya, in the video which has gone viral, is heard using the word “ghanta”, a slang term commonly used to dismiss something as “nonsense” or “rubbish”. The journalist is also heard asking the minister to maintain decorum in his language.
Such incidents are not rare in India. Journalists generally become the prey of the political leaders or the governments, whenever they ask them unsuitable questions. Another such example is a hot and current issue in Punjab.
‘Who used Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s chopper in India, when he was out of the country?’, the question has landed some Punjab journalists and social media activists in hot water. An FIR has been registered against them by the Punjab Police, stating that their alleged posting was based on ‘distorted and unverified content’.
“The pervasive circulation of this misleading material further poses a substantive risk of undermining institutional integrity, engendering social polarisation, and catalysing the spread of additional unverified narratives, thereby affecting public order and administrative harmony in the sensitive border state of Punjab,” adds the FIR.
Manik Goyal, one of the persons named in FIR, wrote on his twitter account @ManikGoyal, “AAP govt has filed an FIR against Me, Journalist Mintoo Gurusaria, Maninderjit Sidhu (@LokAwazTv) and others just for asking questions about the use of government helicopters during CM Bhagwant Mann’s absence.
For four years, they’ve refused to share RTI data on helicopter and airplane usage and expenditure.
Now, when we raise legitimate questions on social media, they slap FIRs on journalists and activists. Is this the democracy we voted for?”
Manik Goyal further tagged a question to Arvind Kejriwal and CM Bhagwant Mann, “Was this the Badlaav you promised – silencing voices instead of answering questions?”
Punjab and Chandigarh Journalists Union has called for a struggle against this action of the state government, calling for a direct attack on press freedom and freedom of speech. In this regard, the organization has appealed to all the District, Tehsil and Local units to submit a demand letter to the Press Council of India, Governor Punjab and President of the country through Deputy Commissioners, SDM or other relevant officials. The leaders also said that the Aam Aadmi Party government led by Bhagwant Singh Mann, who came to power with the slogan of change, has gone on the way to terminate the right of the people to question, which is in no way tolerable.
The Chandigarh Press Club states that the state government’s action reflects intolerance towards critical reporting. “Registering FIRs against journalists and digital content creators is a clear attempt to intimidate and pressurise the media fraternity for reporting on issues of public interest and holding those in power accountable”.
Press Club suggests, “If the government had objections to the facts or interpretation presented in these reports, there were established democratic and legal mechanisms available—such as issuing clarifications, denials, or rebuttals. Resorting to criminal proceedings instead sends a chilling message to journalists and is a deliberate attempt to suppress independent voices and discourage investigative journalism”.
Raising objection over the issue, Punjab state BJP president, Sunil Jakhar, asks, “Bhagwant Mann ji, you yourself used to urge people to question their leaders. Now, when some journalists and social media influencers raised questions regarding usage of your government helicopter, you had cases registered against them. Is this democracy? Mann Sa’b, do not turn democracy into a police state”.
Shiromani Akali Dal Supremo, Sukhbir Singh Badal, tweeted, “The Aam Aadmi Party and chief minister Bhagwant Mann have unleashed repression against independent journalists & activists who are consistently exposing their anti-Punjabi face.
The registration of a false and trumped-up case against RTI activists and journalists is a desperate attempt to muzzle the voice of the independent media and hide the failures of the AAP Punjab govt”.
“The Shiromani Akali Dal condemns this undeclared Emergency. We stand in solidarity with the affected journalists and the RTI activist and demand immediate withdrawal of this malicious FIR”.
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring condemned the registration of the FIR against some journalists and RTI activists, saying this was the new low of the Aam Aadmi Party government in trying to gag the freedom of expression of common people and it showed frustration and insecurity.
“I wish the AAP government and its police were as proactive in hunting down the criminals and gangsters as the swiftness they have shown in chasing the journalists and the RTI activists, Punjab would be a much better and a much safer place today”, he noted, while taking a dig at the Punjab Police for going out of way to target the journalists and RTI activists who are doing their job lawfully.
Warring said that instead of shooting the messenger, the AAP government should try to correct itself although it is quite late in the day for it. “Don’t shoot the messenger, better correct yourself”, he told the government while pointing out that those who have been slapped with the FIRs have only been trying to show mirror to the government.
Sukhpal Singh Khaira, Congress MLA, stated, “Targeting journalists and RTI activists for doing their constitutional duty is nothing but state-sponsored intimidation.”
Jatinder S Sodhi Advocate Punjab, sharing his opinion with our representative, says, “With the intention of suppressing the voice of the press, the Punjab government wants to silence those who speak the truth by registering false and baseless cases, which is a direct violation of Article 19(1)(a) (Freedom of Expression and Press) of the Indian Constitution. This FIR is the opposite direction of the path on which our democracy stands. I too have always considered journalists who write about our shortcomings as my true friends”. (IPA Service)
