Editors Guild voices concern over intimidation of scribes by Union min, Kerala govt

June 13, 2023 20:20

The Editors Guild of India on Tuesday voiced concerns over alleged intimidation and harassment of journalists by Union minister Smriti Irani and the Communist Party of India-Marxist-led government in Kerala.

In a statement here, the Guild claimed that Irani intimidated a journalist during her visit to her Lok Sabha constituency Amethi on June 9 and threatened to call the owners of the Hindi daily he worked for.

In a separate incident, on June 10, a senior woman journalist in Kerala was named as an accused in a First Information Report lodged by the state police in response to a complaint filed by the Student Federation of India, the student arm of the ruling CPI-M party.

"This trigger happy approach to browbeat and harass reporters and news camera persons undermine the freedom of the press," the Guild said in a statement.

"The minister's threat to call newspaper owners and couch journalistic questioning as an affront to the people, was a clear intimidatory tactic," the Guild said.

It also urged the newspapers to reinstate the journalist sacked in connection with the case.

The Guild urged the CPI-M government in Kerala to withdraw the case against the female journalist with immediate effect.

"It is a matter of deep concern that mere reportage on political leaders can invite an FIR and questioning by the police," it said referring to the Kerala incident. -- PTI

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