Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir police have filed a First Information Report (FIR) against two Kashmir based news organisations for a story of a school in south Kashmir’s Shopian.
The reports mentioned that the school ‘was forced to hoist the national flag and hold a function on January 26’.
The FIR was registered following a complaint from a local army unit.
On Saturday, the army in the complaint alleged that the reports by the news portals were baseless and ‘fake news’.
Hindustan Times reported that there was ‘no pressure’ by the army to organize January 26 celebrations, quoting a letter by the principal of the school named Jamia Sirajul Uloom along with the army’s complaint.
The report quoting police officials said that they have filed the FIR on Saturday under sections 153 and 505 after receiving a complaint from the Company commander of the army’s 44 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) at Imam Sahib in Shopian against online news portals The Kashmir Walla and The Kashmiriyat.
“Army has said it is fake news and the school authorities have also denied any force by the army. We have filed an FIR against the two portals after the complaint by the army,” the report quoted Shopian’s superintendent of police (SP), Amritpal Singh as saying.
On January 27, both the news organizations had reported that a private school in Shopian, that they were allegedly pressured to celebrate the Republic Day event by the army.
Meanwhile, the Editor-in-Chief of The Kashmir Walla, Fahad Shah said that they stood by their story.
An FIR has been filed against @tkwmag for reporting story of Shopian school pressured by army to hold republic day function. @TheKashmiriyat reported same later and they are also in FIR. I as editor of @tkwmag stand by our reporting as we have ample evidence to prove so. Support.
— Fahad Shah (@pzfahad) January 31, 2021
“An FIR has been filed against @tkwmag for reporting story of Shopian school pressured by army to hold republic day function. @TheKashmiriyat reported same later and they are also in FIR. I as editor of @tkwmag stand by our reporting as we have ample evidence to prove so. Support.” Shah wrote on his Twitter handle.
Echoing the same, The Kashmiriyat Editor Qazi Shibli said that editors stand by the report as teams reported with the honesty and proof.
An FIR has been registered against @TheKashmiriyat & @tkwmag over our reportage on the Shopian school celebrating Republic day. The editors at TK stand by our report, because the team has worked with honesty, with proof. These are tough times, thank u & keep supporting.
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— Qazi Shibli (قاضی شبلی) (@QaziShibli) January 31, 2021
“An FIR has been registered against @TheKashmiriyat & @tkwmag over our reportage on the Shopian school celebrating Republic day. The editors at TK stand by our report, because the team has worked with honesty, with proof. These are tough times, thank u & keep supporting,” Shibli Tweeted.
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