The Punjab police under the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government arrested the Times Now journalist under alleged charges of the SC-ST act. Notably, the journalist was actively covering the reports around ‘Operation Sheeshmahal’ claiming the residence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was renovated with a huge sum of money worth around Rs 45 crores.
On May 5, journalist, Bhavna Kumari had gone to cover the inauguration of Mohalla Clinics in Ludhiana by Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann. It was at the event she was arrested by a male police officer.
No woman police officer was seen during the arrest. For hours, her family was not informed. Her colleagues tried to contact her but to no avail.
In a press note released in the evening, the Punjab police stated that they have arrested three people on May 5 for hitting a woman with a speeding car, resulting in injury on her right hand. The statement also claimed that these three people allegedly used derogatory remarks against the woman who belongs to the scheduled caste.
“The three arrested were Bhawna Kumari, Mrityunjay Kumar and their driver Parminder Singh. As per the press release the said persons used derogatory language against the caste of the complainant due to which SC/ST act was slapped against them,” the police statement alleged.
#SwadeshKhabar । 'ऑपरेशन शीशमहल' के बाद पत्रकार निशाने पर, लुधियाना में नवभारत रिपोर्टर भावना किशोर को गलत तरीके से SC/ST एक्ट के झूठा मुकदमे में फसाकर गिरफ्तार किया गया #OperationSheeshMahal #SheeshMahalKhulGaya #AAP #ArvindKejriwal @amitgautam001 pic.twitter.com/cPwRyLmmnc
— ET Now Swadesh (@ETNowSwadesh) May 6, 2023
Other than charges of rash driving, all three accused have been booked under sections of the SC-ST Act.
The Chandigarh Press Club has condemned the unlawful arrest of a Times Now journalist.
“It is a blatant attack on the freedom of the press and the Chandigarh Press Club condemns the action of the Punjab Police and is taking up the matter with Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit so that guilty official could be brought to the book and directions to be issued so that no such incidence to take place in future,” Saurabh Duggal, President, Chandigarh Press Club, said in a statement.
Taking it to Twitter, The Press Club of India also condemned the act and wrote, “Press Club of India condemns the blatant attack on rights of a journalist, @BhawanaKishore to discharge her professional duty
We demand immediate withdrawal of fake & lopsided charges made against her by Punjab Police and seek Punjab chief minister’s intervention in this matter”
Press Club of India condemns the blatant attack on rights of a journalist, @BhawanaKishore to discharge her professional duty
We demand immediate withdrawal of fake & lopsided charges made against her by Punjab Police and seek Punjab chief minister’s intervention in this matter pic.twitter.com/bfbRqjiZ3N
— Press Club of India (@PCITweets) May 6, 2023
“A series of lies and excuses rattled off by police commissioner to save their skin from this ignominious act leaves much to be desired. And of late, it has been observed that for the last couple of months, patterns of 2 series of attacks on media persons in Punjab by Punjab police are depressingly similar to this attack on Bhawana Kumari,” said the PCI statement.
Notably, this is not the first time that the AAP Government tried silencing the voices against them, earlier this week AAP supporters manhandled a team of journalists including a female journalist.
According to Times Now Navbharat’s report, a team of six reporters were manhandled. Female AAP workers stopped female reporters from moving ahead. The incident took place at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.
AAP female workers reportedly wrongly accused male reporters of manhandling them. The incident took place when Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal reached Jantar Matra in New Delhi to meet protesting wrestlers.
On May 2, Times Now Navbharat accessed documents that revealed the construction work was started before any approval was taken from the nodal authority. Times Now, in its show ‘Operation Sheeshmahal. reported that the statutory panel was misled about the renovation work at Kejriwal’s official residence. The AAP has not yet issued any official statement in this regard.
BJP has been protesting outside the residence of Arvind Kejriwal after a massive row erupted yesterday over ‘Operation Sheeshmahal’ and the renovation row. The BJP workers raised ‘Kejriwal Chor Hai’ slogans outside his residence and slammed the CM for such splurge at a time when Delhi was reeling under Covid. Security was beefed up outside Kejriwal’s house ahead of the protests.
“A ‘Mahathug’ has conned the citizens of Delhi to come to power & build a lavish residence for himself,” BJP’s Kuljeet Chahal said while protesting outside the CM residence. Several BJP leaders slammed the Aam Aadmi Party. East Delhi MP Gautam Gambhir accused the Delhi CM of spending crores of rupees for his luxury while the poor find shelter in shacks. ‘Hang Me Publicly If…’: Arvind Kejriwal’s Big Dare To PM Modi On Corruption Allegations.
The report by Times Now termed “Operation Sheeshmahal” reveals a whooping Rs 44.78 crore of taxpayers’ money was spent on the renovation of the CM’s official bungalow, raising questions on the Aam Aadmi Party’s austerity talks. Rs 44.78 of taxpayers money was spent on the renovation of Kejriwal’s official residence, as per the report.
The documents accessed by the channel show that the curtains at Arvind Kejriwal’s residence cost appropriately Rs 5-8 lakh per piece. The documents showed that 23 curtains with a cost of Rs 97 lakhs were cleared for Delhi CM and AAP national convenor’s residence.
The marble used in the renovation of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s residence was imported from Vietnam at a cost of Rs 3 crores. The superior quality ‘Deor Pearl Marble’ was used for the renovation of the floors. Not only this, Rs 21,60,000 was spent on the chemical used to fix the marble.
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