By Muslim Mirror News,
New Delhi: In what can be termed as a clear attempt to muzzle the freedom of the press, the Delhi Police today arrested senior investigative journalist, Pushp Sharma, who exposed that the AYUSH ministry did not recruit Muslims for Yoga job abroad. He was charged with “fabricating” an RTI reply in recruitment of Yoga trainers.
Sharma is accused of “fabricating” an RTI reply in which the Ayush Ministry says that it does not recruit Muslims for jobs. The journalist has stood his ground that that was the reply he received from the said ministry in reply to an RTI application. The said report was published in the Milli Gazette issue of 16-31 March this year and had created a worldwide sensation. Subsequently Push Sharma was interrogated for days by the Kotla Mubarakpur police station here. He was later let off after submitting all original RTI papers and signing an undertaking that he will not leave Delhi or India without the prior permission of the police while investigations were on. Later, Kotla Mubarakpur police also questioned the chief editor of the newsmagazine, Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, on 11 April under Section 161 (i.e., as a witness).
It is worth mentioning here that the Press Council of India too has taken suo moto notice of the reports published in the media and has initiated a case against the news magazine for publishing a “fabricated” news item.
Meanwhile the Ayush Ministry has failed to send any rebuttal to the newsmagazine which asserted in its next issue that it is ready to publish the Ministry’s version when and if received. Morevoer, the Ayush Ministry has brushed aside requests by mediapersons to come clean and say how many Muslims it has recruited in the near past.
Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, chief editor of the Milli Gazette said the Ayush Ministry FIR against the journalist and the Press Council of India’s suo moto action are clear attempts to stifle the freedom of the press. He said, while the Ayush Ministry was quick to file a complaint with the police, it failed to make any contact in any manner with the newsmagazine. Moreover, the PCI, instead of protecting journalists and media publications, seems to be taking the side of the government.
No doubt, Muslim Mirror is an anti national Media forum whose duty is to defame Government of India in a systematic way. It must be getting huge financial backup from ISI and other foreign NGOs to vomit fire against India. See the real reason why that so called journalist was nabbed in case of biased reporting against GOI.