Trader leader to face action for recording Yogi Aadityanath's call

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath

A trader leader in Varanasi, Rakesh Jain, has landed in trouble for recording his telephonic conversation with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and posting it on social media. District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma issued a show cause notice to Jain on Sunday and sought a reply within three days for recording the conversation without permission and posting it as an audio clip on social media, failing which legal action would be initiated against him.

The action impacts the dignity of the constitutional office and privacy of conversation was also breached, the notice said. Sharma told reporters that "The Chief Minister's Office has taken serious note of this act and directed the district administration to take necessary action against Jain."

Jain, who is the city president of the Akhil Bhartiya Udyog Vyapar Mandal, had spoken to the Chief Minister on August 22 and recorded the call and later posted the audio clip on social media. In the audio, Jain is heard complaining about private hospitals overcharging Covid patients for treatment.

Jain also complained that the District Magistrate does not respond to queries on the portal and has curbed market timings even though the state government has allowed the opening of markets from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Chief Minister is heard assuring Jain that he will look into the matter.

Apart from serving the show cause notice to Jain, the state president of Akhil Bhartiya Udyog Vyapar Mandal has also been asked to initiate necessary action against him for this act.

Regarding grievances of Jain, the District Magistrate said the district administration has no objection over the complaints made against it in the capacity of a traders' union leader.

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