Javadekar slams misreporting on R-Day violence, says 'spreading rumours not press freedom'

Addressing a press conference about the latest Union Budget in Pune, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Sunday, said that the 'spreading rumours is not part of press freedom'. Referring to several fake reports of police firing during the farmers' tractor rally, he said that such reports 'disturbed the peace of the nation'. Currently, all the Union Ministers are addressing press conferences across India to talk about the various provisions in the Budget 2021.

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Javadekar slams misinformation

"I being its minister always wants media freedom. It is free and should always be maintained freedom. But they should also be responsible for their work. The farmer who has died due to an accident during the tractor rally on Republic Day, a famous reporter tweeted that he has died due to a bullet firing by the police. Is this the freedom of the press? It is something that disturbs the peace in the country. Spreading rumours is not part of press freedom," he said adding, "If anybody criticises the government we never oppose them we welcome it."

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FIR filed against Congress MP & others

After Delhi police busted fake news spread on Twitter regarding a farmer being killed due to police firing, Delhi police has filed an FIR against Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and six others for their tweet claiming the same. The complaint claimed that Tharoor and others were 'misreporting' and 'spreading disharmony' during the clashes between the police and farmers on Republic Day. A case under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 124A (sedition), 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups), 153-B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration), and 505(2) (statements creating or promoting enmity) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered, as per reports.

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Republic Day violence

Despite Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM)'s assurance and Delhi Police's conditions for the Republic Day tractor march, violence broke out on January 26, as the farmers entered Delhi - breaking barricades and cemented barriers, riding bikes brandishing swords, sticks and vandalising a bus, drove tractors at full speed towards the police - leading to clashes with Delhi police. As teargas shells, lathicharge was used, police claimed that over 500 personnel were injured and one protestor died after a tractor upturned. The most shocking act was when a group of farmers allegedly led by actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu breached the Red Fort and hoisted the 'Nishan Sahib' and the Kisan Union flag atop the Red Fort's dome and the Khalsa flag on the flag pole. The Delhi police have filed over 25 cases, 44 FIRs and arrested 122 people - after a protestor died and 510 police personnel were injured. Delhi police have fortified the city borders by cementing nails near barricades at Ghazipur (Delhi-Uttar Pradesh) and Tikri (Delhi-Haryana) borders.

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