FIR on Panjab Journalists over CM Chopper Query

Panjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann was on a trip to Japan and South Korea between 1–10 Dec when journalists in Panjab noted that his helicopter was being used in his absence. Activist Manik Goyal initiated the chopper query leading other journalists, activists, and social media influencers to pick on the trend. On 12 Dec, the Panjab police filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Manik, Baljinder Singh Sandhu alias Mintu Gursaria, Maninderjit Singh Sidhu of Lok Awaz TV, and seven others. The FIR charged the journalists with misinformation and said, 'The content is predicted upon erroneous and interpretation of flight-tracking data, selective presentation of extraneous visuals and insinuatory remarks bereft of factual foundation, thereby constructing a false, misleading, and deliberately fabricated narrative.' Usually, FIRs are followed by arrests but the police did not arrest anyone. The FIR came to light on 1 Jan and led to an uproar among freelance journalists and activists. Manik remarked, ‘We have received a New Year gift from the Panjab government...It has been close to four years since the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government came to power but has not replied to our Right To Information questions related to the CM’s chopper. If we ask on social media, they register fake FIRs.' The journalist community remained defiant and dared the Panjab government to arrest them. The Chandigarh Press Club expressed solidarity with the journalists. The journalists protested on 4 Jan and pointed out that the CM often asked such questions on the chopper and government expenditure when he was in the opposition. They also said now when AAP is in power there is gross misuse of public funds. Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal joined the protest, but was criticized because during his tenure as Deputy Chief Minister (2012–17) the journalists did not have it easy also. AAP leaders in Panjab are silent because a similar FIR has been filed by the Delhi Directorate of Education against 'false information' being spread on the issue by AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal. Kejriwal had claimed that Delhi school teachers are being deployed to count stray dogs in the city.