SAD chief Badal slams AAP govt over FIR against YouTubers

Chandigarh, Jan 4 (PTI) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday slammed the AAP government over the registration of an FIR against several YouTubers and an RTI activist and said it cannot browbeat Punjabis with such tactics.

The Ludhiana police registered a case against 10 people including RTI activist Manik Goyal for allegedly circulating "objectionable and misleading" content on social media related to the use of a helicopter associated with the Punjab chief minister.

The case was registered last month.

The FIR was registered under relevant sections of BNS including 353(1) (making, publishing, or spreading false statements, rumours, or reports intended to cause public mischief) and 353(2) (making, publishing, or circulating false statements/rumours intended to create hatred, enmity, or ill-will between different groups).

Several journalists from Bathinda and Chandigarh on Sunday held a protest here, demanding withdrawal of the FIR.

SAD president Badal expressed solidarity with protesting journalists and assured them that his party would support them to the hilt.

Other opposition parties including the Congress and the BJP have also extended their support to the protest by journalists.

Addressing the protesters, Badal said, "The AAP government thinks it can browbeat Punjabis with these tactics but it should know that Punjabis have always stood up to injustice and will rise as one against the AAP government also." Calling it a people's fight, the SAD chief alleged that "the journalists and RTI activists who have been framed in false cases were highlighting the loot of the resources of Punjab at the hands of Arvind Kejriwal".

He said, "SAD had also filed RTI applications to expose the manner in which the state helicopter was being misused but the AAP government had consistently denied information on the same".

Badal also spoke on how SAD had always given due respect to the media.

He said former chief minister late Parkash Singh Badal had always stood for freedom of the press.

"In stark contrast, the AAP leaders were behaving like thugs by registering cases against anyone who wrote against them," he added.

The Chandigarh Press Club has also condemned the Punjab Police's action of registering the FIR.

"The Chandigarh Press Club believes 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 the media fraternity for reporting on issues of public interest and holding those in power accountable," said Chandigarh Press Club president Saurabh Duggal. PTI CHS VSD KVK KVK