The Committee of Vidhan Sabha probing the sting operation against Urban Development minister Azam Khan has suggested that the Union government should bring about a law to regulate electronic channels and recommended the lodging of FIRs against government officials and journalists of a Hindi news channel. The committee was set up to probe a sting operations post the Muzaffarnagar riots in 2013.
The seven member committee headed by SP MlA, Satish Kumar Nigam tabled the probe report on Tuesday. The sting operation alleged that Khan had directed the police to release some accused of a particular community that led to riots in Muzaffarnagar.
While tabling the 350 page report, Nigam said that the news channel did not co-operate with the committee and did not give the raw copy of the sting despite several reminders.
In its seven point recommendation, the committee opined that the channel defamed the minister through the sting and suggested that the Home department lodge FIRs against nine officials and journalists of the news channel under sections 153(A), 295(A), 200 ,463,464, 465, 469 and 471 of the IPC and for violation of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
The committee has also recommended action against government officials, whose sting were telecast saying ‘they have violated the Government Service Act’.
“The news channel officials also violated Section 5 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and action has been recommended to the state Home department,” the committee Chairman said.
The committee has also recommended to the Central government to take action against the news channel under Section 20 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995 and suggested that the Centre formulate a law to regulate news channels. It also suggested that a committee be set up to monitor news and contents so that channels could not defame any individual.
Meanwhile, Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey announced that he would allow discussion on the issue soon..
The sting telecast by the news channel showed that Additional District Magistrate (ADM), RC Tripathi of Jansath Tehsil and Circle officer, JR Joshi claiming that they were made to change the FIR under political pressure so that the prime accused could get a clean chit.
The report of the channel further said that both the officials were transferred as they ordered frisking of some people and even claimed that the transfer of these officials led to violence.
The sting further alleged that a second officer of Phuguna police station revealed that a senior leader of the UP government from lucknow had directed to release the main accused of the riots.
“Jo ho raha hai, usko hone do”( let the riot continue),” the senior leader was seen saying. The channel also took the name of Azam Khan as the senior SP leader who gave the orders.
The committee was set up by the UP Assembly on September 24, 2013 after several members raised the issue.
While presenting the report Nigam said that Fourth Estate had played a crucial role in transforming India but of late it has turned into a `bazar’.
“There is a mad rush to grab TRPs. Hence new channels have started showing unauthenticated news reports. This is bad. What happened in Muzaffarnagar was bad but what some channels showed was even worse,” he said.