FIR against 'The Wire' over documentary on mosque demolition
The Uttar Pradesh Police has filed an FIR against news portal The Wire, and its two journalists and two others over a documentary on the demolition of a mosque in Barabanki which, the administration said, was built illegally. The case has been registered against journalists Siraj Ali and Mukul S Chauhan, and two others—Mohammad Anees and Mohammad Naeem. Here are more details.
Video was shared by 'The Wire' on June 23
According to the police, Anees and Naeem gave "provocative" statements in the documentary that spread "prejudiced, misleading and untrue" information. "A video related to the Ramsanehi Ghat Tehsil complex was shared by news portal The Wire on its Twitter handle on June 23 in which "baseless" claims have been made," Superintendent of Police Yamuna Prasad said.
Portal made malicious attempt to spoil communal amity: Police
"A case has been registered against The Wire on Thursday night on charges of spreading enmity and religious frenzy by broadcasting sensational, prejudiced, misleading, and untrue things and making a malicious attempt to spoil communal amity. Instructions have been issued to initiate action," he said.
UP government is criminalizing the work of journalists: The Wire
The in-charge of Kotwali Police Station Sachchidanand Rai said that investigations are underway to find out who else was involved in "making provocative statements and spreading false information." Meanwhile, the news portal has termed the police's charges "baseless," and accused the Uttar Pradesh government of "criminalizing the work of journalists who are reporting what is happening in the state."
All FIRs against 'The Wire' are baseless: Siddharth Varadarajan
"This is the fourth FIR filed by the UP Police in the past 14 months against The Wire and/or its journalists and each of these cases is baseless," said Siddharth Varadarajan, founding editor of The Wire on Thursday. "The Adityanath government doesn't believe in media freedom and is criminalizing the work of journalists who are reporting what is happening in the state," he added.
