WHO SPREADS RUMOURS–AIR OR DELHI POLICE OR BOTH IN TANDEM? M K Gupta (Free Lance Journalist) After the false news Anna Hazare deserting the Army and many other attempts to malign the crusaders against corruption, one more such instance has come to light in reply of RTI application filed by M K Gupta, Jt. Secy and Media Advisor of the Dwarka Forum. On 5th June, All India Radio in its morning news bulletin on the Police crackdown at Ramlila ground stated, "A police spokesman said, when Baba Ramdev refused to comply with the order of revoking permission, police had to swing into action in the wee hours today." The bulletin also stated, "Earlier in the day government had sent an explanatory note to the Yoga Guru on the demands made by him including the framing up of a law for declaring black money stashed in foreign banks as national asset. The government maintained with this note all demands of Baba Ramdev have been met with and all his doubts clarified". On the issue of mentioning the mid-night as wee hours, the All India Radio has replied that it was "pure editorial judgment" meaning that now the news editor sitting in the AIR can convert midnight into wee hours. It was also informed that the correspondent who was present at Ramlila ground and contributed this item was Shri V K. Raina. The Editor Incharge was Ms. Devpreet Singh, Director (News) was supervisory Officer for this bulletin. In reply to the first appeal, Shri S. Mathias, Add. Director Generai (News) has replied that he has come to the conclusion that there is no need to add any thing more to the reply given by the PIO. When Mr. Gupta of Dwarka Forum asked for a copy of the aforesaid note by filling an RTI application to Prime Minister's Office on 21.6.2011, the PMO transferred the application to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Min. of Home further transferred the same to the Delhi Police. Now, Aslam Khan, IPS and PIO, Delhi Police has informed that it does not pertain to his office without transferring the application to any body other official under the RTI Act. This is despite the fact that the AIR has informed that the police spokesman was "CP-Delhi, Shri Gupta". Surprisingly, there is no outside watchdog for registering complaints against the false news disseminated by AIR (and Doordarshan too) while in the case of newspapers and TV channels, watchdogs are there. In the absence of a watchdog, Gupta has sent complaints to Mrs. Ambika Soni, Minister for Information and Broadcasting on 7th July by speed post, to Mrs. Mrinal Pandey, Chairperson, Prasar Bharati by email on 2nd July and to the Addl. Dir. General (News) of All India Radio on 28.7.2011 but there is no reply from anywhere till date. Now, he (Gupta) plans to raise the matter before the Central Information Commission in appeal. Due to such tactics, the credibility of the government and its media is all the time low and the public is not ready to give the govt. further time on Lokpal Bill which is the reason of present impasse. | 
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