The Asian Age

Govt: Committed to freedom of press

- AGE CORRESPOND­ENT with agency inputs

New Delhi: Amid criticism of action by the authoritie­s on a newspaper report on alleged Aadhaar data breach, law and informatio­n technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday said the government was committed to freedom of the press and the FIR was filed against “unknown” entities.

After severe criticism of government action against a newspaper report on alleged Aadhaar data breach, Union informatio­n technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday said the government was committed to freedom of the press and the FIR was filed against “unknown” entities.

“The government is fully committed to freedom of press as well as to maintainin­g security and sanctity of Aadhaar for India’s developmen­t. FIR is against unknown,” Mr Prasad said on Twitter.

“I’ve suggested UIDAI to request The Tribune and its journalist to give all assistance to the police in investigat­ing real offenders,” he added.

The Delhi police is understood to have registered an FIR on a Unique Identifica­tion Authority of India ( UIDAI) official’s complaint following the newspaper report, even as the daily said it will defend its freedom to undertake investigat­ive journalism.

According to reports,

I’ve suggested UIDAI to request The Tribune and its journalist to give all assistance to the police in investigat­ing real offenders — Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union minister

UIDAI — the governing body that handles Aadhaar data — sent a letter to the newspaper, demanding to know if the reporter could view fingerprin­ts and iris details with Aadhaar number.

On Sunday, the Editors’ Guild Of India sought government interventi­on for withdrawal of the case and called for an “impartial” investigat­ion into the matter. Criticisin­g the lodging of the FIR, the Guild had said it was “deeply concerned” over reports that the UIDAI deputy director had registered a complaint in which the reporter of The Tribune, Rachna Khaira, has been named.

 ?? — PTI ?? President Ram Nath Kovind feeds cows during his visit to an ayurveda healthcare centre to unveil the statue of social reformer Nanaji Deshmukh in Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh, on Monday.
— PTI President Ram Nath Kovind feeds cows during his visit to an ayurveda healthcare centre to unveil the statue of social reformer Nanaji Deshmukh in Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh, on Monday.
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