Bengaluru: The Karnataka Police have registered an FIR against a Hindi news channel Aaj Tak and its consulting editor Saudhir Chaudhary for spreading misinformation, PTI reported.
The false news was being spread about a commercial vehicle subsidy scheme of the State government for minorities, officials said on Wednesday.
The FIR was filed under Sections 505 (Statements conducing to public mischief) and 153 A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence) of the Indian Penal Code against the channel and its Consulting Editor following a complaint by the Karnataka Minorities Development Corporation (KMDC) Assistant Administrator Shivakumar at Seshadripuram police station here, they said.
The complainant accused the consulting editor of spreading false news about the scheme offered by the corporation and trying to disturb communal harmony in the state.
“Got information about an FIR against me by the Congress government in Karnataka. The answer to the question is FIR? That too with non-bailable sections. That means complete preparation for arrest. My question was why the Hindu community is not included in the self-reliant Sarathi scheme? I am ready for this fight also. Now meet in court..,” he said in a post on ‘X’.
According to the FIR, on September 11 in a news programme, claimed that the Karnataka government was providing the scheme that benefit only to the minorities and not to the non-minority Hindus and that it is practicing minority appeasement in the state. He also claimed that it is causing injustice to Hindus.
“By publishing such news, an attempt is being made to spread hatred between Hindus and other religions. It is also an attempt to create an atmosphere of unrest and instigating communal riots. Despite being fully aware of the statements he is making, by publishing such news, he is hatching a conspiracy to disturb communal harmony in the state,” the complainant alleged.
KMDC also issued a statement explaining the scheme and alleged that the channel “twisted” the news.
The news agency quoting KMDC statement said, “These schemes were not only for the minority community but also for backward classes, scheduled castes, and scheduled tribes. It was also available for the Hindu community’s unemployed youths. These schemes were not implemented by the incumbent Congress government but by the previous BJP government.”
After the news report was aired, Karnataka Minister of Information Technology and Biotechnology Priyank Kharge alleged on Tuesday that the anchor was deliberately spreading misinformation on government schemes.