In a significant development, a Delhi court has directed the police to register an FIR against multiple political leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President JP Nadda, MP Manoj Tiwari, Delhi Minister Parvesh Verma, former MP Ramesh Bidhuri, and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, over alleged illegal hoardings on public property.

The court acted upon complaint number DD No. 22B, dated 15 November 2019, and ordered the police to take action. However, controversy erupted as media outlets selectively omitted the names of BJP leaders, falsely portraying the court’s order as being solely against Arvind Kejriwal.

AAP Slams Media for Selective Reporting

Addressing the media, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, alongside AAP’s chief spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar, criticized what he called biased media coverage.

"I have deep pain and resentment today as I speak to the country’s top journalists, leading TV channels, and major newspapers. You are free to report any news against us, but it should not appear as though AAP is being deliberately targeted. Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened yesterday," said Sanjay Singh.

He expressed frustration over how news headlines only focused on Arvind Kejriwal, despite the court order naming top BJP leaders as well.

Sequence of Events Leading to the FIR Order

Sanjay Singh outlined the background of the complaint:

• Complainant Shiv Kumar Saxena alleged that illegal hoardings were put up on public properties across Delhi.
• He initially approached the Dwarka police station to file a complaint, but no FIR was registered.
• He then moved court, which initially did not entertain his plea.
• The matter escalated under Section 200 CrPC, prompting a lower court to order the registration of an FIR under Section 156(3) CrPC.
• On Tuesday, the court finally directed the police to file an FIR against all the leaders named in the complaint.

Despite this, the media largely ignored the fact that BJP leaders, including PM Modi and Amit Shah, were also mentioned in the complaint.

Why is Only Arvind Kejriwal Being Targeted?

Sanjay Singh strongly criticized how the media selectively reported the issue:

"The complainant named PM Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP National President JP Nadda, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari, Minister Parvesh Verma, former BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri, and AAP MLA Gulab Singh. Yet, media reports only focused on Arvind Kejriwal, completely omitting the names of BJP leaders."

He further questioned the credibility of media outlets, asking why news reports failed to highlight the court order against top BJP leaders while extensively covering Kejriwal.

"Why doesn’t the media run breaking news that a court has ordered an FIR against the Prime Minister, the Home Minister, and the BJP President? Why are they only showing Arvind Kejriwal and AAP?"

Court’s Decision Under Section 156(3) CrPC

The Delhi court, under Section 156(3) CrPC, directed the concerned police station to immediately register an FIR. The court took cognisance of the case after examining DD No. 22B from 15 November 2019, and found that action was required against all the political figures named in the complaint.

However, Sanjay Singh argued that the media manipulated the narrative, making it seem like the order was exclusively against Arvind Kejriwal.

"The court has ordered an FIR against all those named, yet the media chose to highlight only Arvind Kejriwal’s name while completely ignoring the others. This is unethical and misleading," he added.

Political Fallout and Growing Controversy

The AAP vs Media clash has once again brought attention to the role of news organizations in shaping political narratives. The court’s directive against leaders from both BJP and AAP is significant, but the one-sided media portrayal has raised questions about journalistic integrity and political bias.

With the Delhi Police now directed to register an FIR, the case is likely to spark further political debates in the coming days. Will the media rectify its reporting? Or will the selective narrative continue? Only time will tell.