Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda questioned the terms of the pension policy made for journalists. Hooda said the government has deliberately added the condition of FIR to put pressure on journalists and deprive them of pension. It is said in the pension policy that a journalist will not be given pension if an FIR is filed against him. Hooda said the BJP and BJP-JJP governments have repeatedly used FIRs as a weapon against journalists to violate the freedom of the press. “The judicial system of the country says that no one can be considered guilty merely because a case is registered. This provision of pension policy is completely illegal. Pension is an honorarium on which such condition cannot be imposed,” he said.
“The government can only make provisions that ensure that heinous criminals don’t not get the benefit of pension. This kind of pressure should not be put on all eligible journalists. If the present government does not do this, the FIR provision will be abolished when the Congress government is formed so that the rights and freedom of journalists can be protected,” he said.
