FIR Filed Against Prominent News Channel And Consulting Editor Over Subsidy Program Coverage

Bengaluru Police announced on Wednesday that they have lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against a prominent Hindi news channel and its Consulting Editor, Sudhir Chaudhary, on allegations of spreading misleading information related to a government subsidy program. The complaint was filed by Shivakumar, an assistant administrator of the Karnataka Minorities Development Corporation (KMDC), at the Seshadripuram police station in the city.

The complaint outlined that during his television program, Sudhir Chaudhary, featured an advertisement from the KMDC, promoting subsidies for economically disadvantaged individuals from religious minority groups to acquire commercial vehicles. Chaudhary alleged that this scheme exhibited discriminatory practices against Hindus, failing to acknowledge that individuals from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Backward Classes (BC) could access similar benefits through other government agencies dedicated to these communities.

The FIR was registered under sections 505 (Statements conducing to public mischief) and 153 A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence) of the Indian Penal Code based on the complaint.

In his television show, Chaudhary claimed that the subsidies were exclusively available to religious minorities in Karnataka and not Hindus, an assertion that the FIR stated "conspired to disturb communal harmony in the state."

The KMDC issued a statement to clarify the details of the subsidy scheme, asserting that it provided a 50% subsidy or up to ₹3,00,000 to unemployed individuals for the purchase of autorickshaws, goods vehicles, and taxis, enabling them to become self-employed. Additionally, similar schemes had been implemented by other development corporations accessible to backward classes, SCs, STs, and unemployed youth from the Hindu community.

The statement emphasized that these schemes were not limited to the minority community but were also available to other sections of society. It further noted that these programs were initiated by the previous BJP government and were not exclusive to the Congress government.

In response to the FIR, Sudhir Chaudhary expressed his willingness to contest the allegations in court, mentioning on social media that he was prepared for the legal battle.

Following the broadcast of the news report, Karnataka's Minister of Information Technology and Biotechnology, Priyank Kharge, accused the news anchor of intentionally spreading misinformation regarding government schemes and indicated that legal action would be taken.