Chandauli(UP, India): The Chandauli police on Tuesday booked two journalists and sent one to jail for reporting allegedly against the BJP MLA and using casteist slurs against him.
The two journalists identified as Rohit Tiwari and Kartik Pandey have been booked under the sections of the SC-ST Act on 24 August. Police arrested Kartik Pandey and sent him to jail.
The complaint was filed based on a first information report against the journalists in Chakiya police station by a Bharatiya Janata Party MLA identified as Sharda Prasad.
As per the FIR, MLA accused the journalists of presenting wrong facts against him, and when the party workers questioned they used casteist slurs against the MLA.
However, in our investigation, we have found that the journalist had only raised the matter of a daily wage worker who had accused the MLA of not paying the salary.
Members of the local Press union held massive protests in the city against the arrest of a journalist. Press union is demanding the urgent release of the journalist.
“If they start suppressing our (journalists’) voices, society will be silenced. This is very unfortunate. BJP MLA is misusing the SC-ST Act. What is this but a form of torture? We have hope, though, that things will get better,” Nand Pathak, a local journalist said.
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