Masihuzzama Ansari had sought to know about reported case of forced eviction of Muslim residents around famous Gorakhnath temple. He was warned of being implicated under NSA
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — Journalists and social media users have condemned the District Magistrate of Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh who recently threatened a Delhi-based journalist with booking him under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) for seeking his comments on an incident in his jurisdiction. The incident pertains to the reported forced eviction of Muslim residents around famous Gorakhnath temple of which Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is the mahant (chief priest).
They have expressed solidarity with Masihuzzama Ansari who works with India Tomorrow, a Delhi-based news portal. Ansari had called the DM, K Vijayandra Pandian, to confirm the news of alleged eviction by the administration. The DM responded by asking his name and retorted, “What will you get from this? What is your problem? You are using the name of Muslims here. Rise above religion,” he said. Then he tells Ansari what he was doing comes under the category of crime.
“All those talking about this (case) will go to jail. We will name everyone in the FIR. By taking names of the families you are compromising their privacy. NSA will be used. We will not invoke ordinary Sections,” the DM told Ansari, according to a purported audio clip of a call recording put out by India Tomorrow on its YouTube channel.
Reports have surfaced in media saying that the administration in Gorakhpur has decided to remove homes belonging to 11 Muslim families situated around Gorakhnath temple. Police say they need the space for building a police post. But the homeowners are sceptical and say it’s just an excuse to get rid of them from the area. Some of the residents who have agreed to hand over their homes have said that they have done so under duress. The administration denies this.
Pandian claimed that families were giving their land out of their will. “They will get compensated for it,” he tells Ansari in the purported audio clip. Ansari responds to Pandian saying he called only to confirm the veracity of the information. “You are an official. Only you can confirm,” he tells the DM during the telephonic conversation.
Speaking with Clarion India Ansari said he was shocked to hear a government official heading a district talk to a journalist like this. “Yes, it would not be surprising if it had come from a politician,” Ansari said. Moreover, Ansari said, the story has no Hindu-Muslim angle as all the families involved are Muslim, he added.
“I was just doing my duty as a professional journalist. It is normal to call an official and verify the facts. I was doing my job with honesty and integrity. It was astonishing to hear him talk of religion. I was talking to him only as a journalist,” Ansari said.
Ansari has filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission seeking action against the DM. He said he will write to journalist bodies as well to take up his complaint with the government.
The news of Ansari being threatened by the district magistrate triggered angry reactions from journalists and social media users.
Aditya Menon, a journalist with The Quint, called the threat a “harassment”. Through a tweet, he expressed solidarity with Ansari.
Full solidarity with @ansari_masi bhai. He is a brave journalist and this is nothing but harassment. https://t.co/TdnPShkL5Z
— Aditya Menon (@AdityaMenon22) June 4, 2021
Historian and columnist Ali Khan Mahmudabad tweeted quoting parts of the audio while sharing a news report about the threat to Ansari.
‘You are making the atmosphere hostile. We will file a case and impose NSA and you will face serious actions.’”
In an audio clip of the purported telephone conversation…, Pandian says, “You also have a Muslim name…Rise above your religion Ansari”. https://t.co/biqmZKTcs6
— Ali Khan Mahmudabad (@Mahmudabad) June 4, 2021
Faizan, a twitter user, also highlighted the incident by putting out a tweet briefly explaining the details.
Gorakhpur DM threatens scribe to slap NSA for report on Muslims’ ‘eviction’ from land near Gorakhnath temple
Masihuzzama Ansari, who works with a Delhi-based news portal, has filed a complaint with NHR demanding action against Gorakhpur DM K Vijayendra Pandian https://t.co/sRLVEb5xQG
— faizan (@faizan0008) June 3, 2021
