By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
New Delhi: A Delhi-based Journalist, Pushp Sharma, whose RTI story regarding reply from Union AYUSH Ministry had hogged headlines a few days ago, was picked up for questioning by Delhi Police on Tuesday evening.
The story claimed an RTI reply from Ayush Ministry, which said that that “as per government policy, it doesn’t recruit Muslims” and was first published on The Milli Gazette. It was subsequently picked up by a number of publications, including Twocircles.net.
News agency ANI tweeted earlier in the evening that the AYUSH Ministry had filed an official complaint against the scribe for his story.
A press release issued by The Mill Gazette on Tuesday over Pushp Sharma being questioned says, “…He has been picked up in connection with his story published on The Milli Gazette and other media outlets, portals and channels about an RTI reply received from the AYUSH Ministry saying that as per government policy, it did not recruit any Muslim as Yoga trainer.”
Mazin Khan of Milli Gazette spoke to TwoCircles.net. He said, “Pushp Sharma was in continuous touch with us while he was being shifted to Kotal Mubarakpur Police Station but after that he isn’t picking up the phone. He called us and told that a police contingent claiming from Kotla Mubarakpur police station came to his home in Lajpat Nagar at around 6:30 pm today and asked him to accompany them for question.”
“He was told that some police officer Mukesh Kumar wanted to talk to him. Pushp had said that he can talk to the concerned officer over phone, but the policemen’s insisted his personal presence. He was first taken to the South-Extension Part 1, police station and later to Kotla Mubarakpur police station where he made his last contact with us which was at 7:22 pm after which he is not picking up our repeated calls,” he added.
When TwoCircles.net contacted Kotla Mubarakpur Police station, they denied picking up Pushp Sharma. “As per my knowledge we haven’t picked any person named Pushp Sharma,” said the concerned Police officer.Also, repeated calls from TCN to Pushp Sharma remained unanswered.
Importantly, The Milli Gazette on March 11 had carried a report under the byline of Pushp Sharma, claiming a controversial reply from Ayush Ministry to an RTI filed by him asking the ministry to first, “provide the details, how many (total numbers) Muslim candidates had applied for short-term abroad assignment (Trainer/Teacher) during World Yog Day 2015?” Second, it asked the Ministry “as how many Muslims applied for the post of Yoga Trainer / Teacher so far?”
The written answer from the AYUSH Ministry dated 8 October, 2015, as per the documents produced by Sharma says, “As per government policy: no Muslim candidate was invited, selected or sent abroad.”
The AYUSH Ministry in a statement issued on Saturday, March 13 distanced itself from the RTI reply, claiming it has never been issued by the ministry or any of its agencies and have termed it as “fabricated” and a purported RTI reply.
Related:
RTI report on Muslims fabricated: AYUSH ministry
As per government policy, we don’t recruit Muslims: AYUSH ministry’s reply to RTI