FIR against two Valley news portals on army’s complaint

Editors of Kashmir Walla and Kashmiriyat stand by their report; PDP calls it intimidation of journalists

SRINAGAR: After a complaint by army, Jammu and Kashmir Police have registered an FIR against two news portals for a story on ‘allegations’ by a school in south Kashmir’s Shopian that it was forced to hold a Republic Day function on January 26.

The army in its complaint has said that the reports were baseless and dubbed them as ‘fake’ news. A letter by the principal of the school, Sirajul Uloom, also mentioned that there was ‘no pressure’ by the army to organise Republic Day celebrations.

Police officials said that they have filed the FIR under sections 153 and 505 after receiving a complaint from company commander of army’s 44 RR against the online news portals: The Kashmir Walla and Kashmiriyat.

“Army has said that it is a fake news and the school authorities have also denied any such incident. We have filed an FIR against the two portals after a complaint by the army,” said Shopian SP Amritpal Singh.

The Kashmir Walla and Kashmiriyat had done bylined stories on January 27 quoting the chairman of Sirajul Uloom, a private school in Shopian, that they were allegedly pressured to celebrate the Republic Day event by the army. Despite repeated attempts, comments of M Yousuf Mantoo could not be succeeded.

Editor of The Kashmir Walla, Fahad Shah, said that they stood by their story.

“We stand by our reporting and we have ample evidence to prove that when the time will come. We spoke to the seniormost official of school who said everything on record. The school authorities have also become unreachable,” Shah added.

He said after they broke the story, other news portal also spoke to the school authorities and reported it. Shah said they are used to getting calls and summons from the authorities for the work they have been doing.

News editor of Kashmiriyat, Qazi Shibli said they were honest in their reporting. “We reported what the school authorities said and also attempted to get the army officials’ reaction, who were not immediately available for a comment. We had even mentioned that the story will be updated in case the army responds, but nobody called us from their side,” he added.

Meanwhile, the PDP termed it “intimidation” of journalists. “The virus of breaking institutions, individuals down to extract language of complicity from independent minded people (earlier restricted to Kashmir) seems to have been emulated across India. We reject such intimidation of Journalists. #JournalismIsNotACrime,” the party said which was retweeted by its president Mehbooba Mufti.

Sirajul Uloom was in news last year in October after its three teachers were booked under the Public Safety Act after reports emerged that a few of its students and alumni were found involved in militant activities over a period of time.

LETTER BY THE PRINCIPAL OF THE SCHOOL, SIRAJUL ULOOM, MENTIONS THAT THERE WAS ‘NO PRESSURE’ BY THE ARMY TO ORGANISE REPUBLIC DAY CELEBRATIONS