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Hyderabad, The Indian Journalists’ Union (IJU) has strongly protested against the summons issued by the Itanagar Police to the editor and publisher of the “Dawn Lit Post” daily published from Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh to appear before them on a criminal complaint filed by a State BJP leader on a news story it published on February 12. The police also asked them to give a written statement to defend their report. The BJP Arunachal Pradesh Unit general secretary Lelung Lingfa filed a complaint before a court alleging that the article published in the daily was defamatory. The Court directed the police to investigate the matter.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, IJU president S N Sinha and secretary-general Amar Devulapalli stated the police summons to the editors and publisher of the newspaper were intended to brow beat the newspaper and its editors and enforce self-censorship on journalists in view of the State Assembly elections later this year. The police exceeded their powers by asking the newspaper to file a written statement, which amounted to asking them to disclose their source of the news report.
“If the BJP is aggrieved by the impugned news story, they are free to file a defamation case in an appropriate court and seek redressal. It may be noted that the newspaper has already published a rejoinder issued by the BJP on the report. But the summons from the police on pretext of investigation, was a direct attack on the freedom of the press. It was intended to send a signal to all journalists in the State to observe self-censorship or else face dire consequences. “It is unacceptable,” they said.
“We would like to point out that the Supreme Court repeatedly observed that freedom of the Press is supreme and court would not allow its curtailment. In an order delivered in a defamation case, Chief Justice Deepak Misra observed on January 8, ‘You must allow freedom of expression by journalists. There may be some wrong reporting but do not hold on to it forever.’ The IJU strongly feels that the present attempt of the Itanagar police goes against the observations of the apex court,” the IJU leaders said.
The IJU called upon the journalists, editors and newspaper managements in Arunachal Pradesh to unitedly fight against encroachments on the freedom of the press and expression. It urged upon the Press Council of India (PCI) to immediately intervene and direct the police not to intimidate the press in Arunachal Pradesh.
