A message has surfaced on social media platforms claiming that the government will investigate journalists and register FIRs against journalists with fake ID cards and online news portals from issuing fake press ID cards.
Several users on Facebook users are sharing this message that reads, “*नई दिल्ली फर्जी पत्रकारो के खिलाफ होगी एफआईआर* *नई दिल्ली*: भारत के सूचना प्रसारण मंत्रालय ने जाली पत्रकारों पर सिकंजा कसने की तैयारी कर ली है। आज दोलपहर को हुई प्रेस ब्रीफिंग में पत्रकारों से बात करते हुए, सूचना प्रसारण राज्य मंत्री कर्नल राजवर्धन सिंह राठौर ने कहा कि देश भर में जितने भी प्रेस आईडी लेकर घुम रहे लोगों की तत्काल जांच शुरू होगी । इस मामले में दोषी पाए जाने वाले व्यक्ति पर त्वरित कार्रवाई करते हुए गिरफ्तार कर लिया जाएगा…READ MORE”
(Translation- FIR will be lodged against fake journalists in New Delhi * New Delhi *: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has made preparations to tighten the rules for fake journalists. Speaking to reporters at a press briefing today, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Colonel Rajvardhan Singh Rathore said that immediate investigation will start on all the people carrying Press IDs across the country. The person found guilty in this case will be arrested after taking prompt action.
Further, Shri Rathore said that because of some people, the image of good and honest journalists is getting tarnished, and their work is getting hampered. Giving further information, Mr Rathore said that the business of distributing fake press IDs and appointing fake journalists and blackmailing in the name of the press is going on in the whole country, which is essential to control. In this regard, instructions have been issued to the Press Information Ministry of all the states. He further said that the newspaper/magazine which is registered by the RNI of the Government of India or which is registered with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting can appoint a journalist/correspondent and only its editor can issue a press card.
When asked about the news portal, Mr. Rathore said in clear words that there is no provision for registration of news portals running on the Internet and there is no news portal and news channels running on cable (DS) TV. If any person does this then it is illegal and action is sure to be taken against them.)
The message is also doing rounds on Facebook. Similar posts can be found here, here and here.
FACT CHECK
NewsMobile fact-checked the above post and found the claim to be false.
We found that the same message is being circulated on Facebook and Twitter since December 2018. These posts can be seen here, here and here.
Further, the message mentions that the information was given by the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajvardhan Singh Rathore. We found that Rathore was given independent charge as Minister of State in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in May 2018 during a cabinet reshuffle.
In May 2019 Rathore was left out of the cabinet and wasn’t a part of the list of ministers who took oath during the swearing-in ceremony during BJP’s second term.
Additionally, PIB Fact Check has also dismissed the claim on Twitter in July 2020 which was earlier being attributed to I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar. The government’s fact-checking arm clarified that the post claiming that the government is lodging FIR against journalists is fake. It further stated that there is no such proposal before the ministry.
एक व्हाट्सएप मैसेज में केंद्रीय सूचना एवं प्रसारण मंत्री @PrakashJavdekar के कथित वक्तव्य के हवाले से कहा जा रहा है कि फर्जी पत्रकार जेल जाएंगे#PIBFactCheck: ऐसा वक्तव्य केंद्रीय मंत्री @PrakashJavdekar ने कभी नहीं दिया ना ही ऐसा कोई प्रस्ताव मंत्रालय के सामने है pic.twitter.com/UJFRDbaJyW
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) July 2, 2020
Finally, we looked for media reports to check if any such order has been passed by the government recently but could not find reports from any reliable source to corroborate the claim.
Therefore, the message claiming the government will register FIRs against journalists with fake ID cards is false.
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