The Karnataka police have registered an FIR against Aaj Tak news anchor Sudhir Chaudhary for spreading misinformation through his reporting on the state government’s commercial vehicle subsidy scheme. On his show, Sudhir Chaudhary had tried to communalise the scheme by highlighting an advertisement of the Karnataka Minorities Development Corporation that promised a subsidy on the purchase of commercial vehicles to poor people from religious minorities. Sudhir Chaudhary claimed that the scheme was discriminatory as it was denied to Hindus, while failing to mention that it can be availed by members of SC, ST and BC communities through other corporations that work with these communities.
Calling Sudhir’s statements “deliberate and malicious”, Karnataka Minister for IT/BT, and Rural Development & Panchayat Raj Priyank Kharge had said on Tuesday, September 12 that the state government would take legal action against the journalist. An FIR was registered on the same day by the Seshadripuram police in Bengaluru, based on a complaint from Shivakumar S, an official of the Karnataka Minorities Development Corporation. Sudhir Chaudhary and Aaj Tak have been booked under Section 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) and 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Read: Why the Karnataka govt is threatening legal action against Aaj Tak’s Sudhir Chaudhary
The police complaint mentions that the Karnataka Minorities Development Corporation has a scheme with a subsidy of 50% or up to Rs 3 lakh to people from religious minorities looking to purchase commercial vehicles. Religious minorities include Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, and Parsis. However, this scheme can also be availed through the Ambedkar Development Corporation representing SCs and STs, and other corporations representing Backward Classes.
But on Monday, September 11, at 9.55 pm, on the national news channel Aaj Tak, anchor Sudhir Chaudhary falsely claimed that this scheme can only be availed by minorities, the complaint mentioned. Sudhir Chaudhary also claimed that the state government was appeasing minorities through the scheme, resulting in injustice for the poor Hindus of Karnataka, the complaint mentioned.
A similar commercial vehicle subsidy scheme can be availed by SC/ST community members under the Airavatha Scheme of the Dr Ambedkar Development Corporation Limited, and by backward classes persons as well through a different corporation. Each state has corporations that deal with different communities and projects.
“By spreading this news, [Sudhir Chaudhary] is causing communal provocation and spreading hatred between Hindus and other religions, and creating an atmosphere of unrest and inciting communal riots,” the complaint said. “Despite being clearly aware of the words he speaks, he portrays this kind of misinformation and is plotting to disturb the communal peace. So for portraying misinformation and communal news about the state government and the Karnataka Minorities Development Corporation, Aaj Tak and its anchor Sudhir Chaudhary should face action as per the law,” it added.
Reacting to the FIR, Sudhir Chaudhary asked why he was being booked under non-bailable sections for merely “asking a question”, to which Minister Priyank Kharge replied, “If you sow a babool tree, how will you reap mangoes?”
The scheme in question predates the Congress government according to Manoj Jain, Secretary to the Karnataka Minority Welfare Department "The scheme was earlier for Rs. 2.5 lakh and it is now increased to Rs. 3 lakh under the Swavalambi Sarathi scheme," Manoj Jain said. The Karnataka Minorities Development Corporation had called for applicants from religious minority communities for the scheme even in 2021 and 2022 when the BJP was in power.