UP midday meal controversy: Editors Guild urges govt to withdraw case filed against journalist

Condemning the case against Jaiswal, the Editors Guild in a statement said, "It is a cruel and classic case of shooting the messenger.....It is shocking that instead of taking action to fix what is wrong on the ground, the government has filed criminal cases against the journalist......"

"The Guild urges that the state government withdraw these cases forthwith and ensure that the journalist is not put to any further harm or harassment." 

In the video which went viral days ago, students of a Mirzapur school were spotted having rotis and salt instead of pulses, rice, rotis and vegetables which were about to be served.

In its complaint, the Block Education Officer of the school area accused journalist Jaiswal to defame the state government.

The First Information Report (FIR) also states that the village head of the particular area, who has also been accused by the officer in his complaint, should have arranged vegetables instead of calling a journalist.

Jaiswal and the village head have been accused of cheating and criminal conspiracy.

Referring to the government's powers, the Guild said, "The law does indeed give the government such powers but only in the rarest of rare cases and following due procedure and disclosure. There must be transparency in these decisions."

(Image Credit: IBNS File)