Ghaziabad Police blocks journalist, fact-checker Pratik Sinha on Twitter; Users ask 'Why?'
New Delhi: Senior Journalist and co-founder of popular fact-checking news portal Alt News, Pratik Sinha on Tuesday claimed that he was blocked by Ghaziabad Police on micro-blogging site Twitter from its official handle.
Pratik on Monday shared a screenshot of Ghaziabad Police’s official handle which showed that he was blocked by Ghaziabad Police and cannot follow or interact with them on Twitter.
In the tweet, Pratik asked the Ghaziabad Police by tagging them in the tweet as why he was blocked on their account. “Hello @GhaziabadPolice, why this?” Pratik wrote.
Ghaziabad Police police received sharp criticism for their act of blocking a noted journalist. Users questioned the police department as who and what orders was Pratik blocked from the public account of Ghaziabad Police.
“It should be illegal for government agencies, politicians and government employees to block citizens in social media. This is like refusing to listen to the public. They are living on our Taxes.. (SIC)” a user wrote in the comment section of Pratik’s tweet.
“Gaziabad police twitter acc is not a personal account, rather a public account and the person operating the account can't block anyone without any specific reason” another user wrote.
It is not clear as why the Ghaziabad Police has blocked Pratik from their Twitter handle as the department has not issued any official statement or tweet in this regard. Pratik was unavailable for an immediate comment on the matter.
Hello @ghaziabadpolice, why this? pic.twitter.com/zfIIM2rbkw
— Pratik Sinha (@free_thinker) June 15, 2021
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Crossing river, trekking hill voters reach polling booths to cast vote in Surguja LS constituency
Balrampur/Chhattisgarh (PTI): Enthusiastic voters reached polling booths trekking steep hilly paths, crossing a river and even on a horse to cast their votes in remote areas of the tribal-dominated Balrampur district in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, officials said.
Balrampur district falls under the Surguja Lok Sabha constituency which was among seven seats where polling was held in third and last phase of Lok Sabha elections in the state. The Surguja Lok Sabha recorded 74.59 per cent voting, as per the Turnout application.
Voters, belonging to Pahadi Korva, a particularly vulnerable tribal group, including Rajesh, Madan, Sukhu, Gopal and Nandlal, crossed a river to exercise their franchise at a polling booth in village panchayat Amera under the Samri assembly constituency, a government official said.
Similarly, electors, including Lakhan Nagesia, Sahu, Phulsai and Kalesh of Bachwar village under the Ramanujganj assembly constituency walked through hilly terrain for about two hours covering 8 kms to reach a polling booth and cast their vote, he said. A voter, Parimal Dey, reached a polling booth in Sagarpur village under the Ramanujganj assembly seat on a horse, the official said. Dey is a cattle rearer who owns 150 goats.
Two hyper sensitive polling booths -- Chunchuna and Pundag -- located in a Naxal-affected area of the district which shares border with Jharkhand, also recorded significant turnout, he said. The two booths are located in the Samri assembly constituency.
"Special security arrangements were put in place in this area to ensure peaceful voting. Voters of Chunchuna and Pudang ensured their participation in the great festival of democracy braving Naxalite threat," he said. The Chunchuna polling booth has 767 voters and it recorded 84.35 per cent turnout, while Pundag has 595 electors and it registered a turnout of 72.44 per cent till 5 pm, the official added.
