New Delhi, Sep 1 (PTI) The Indian Women’s Press Corps and the Press Association on Tuesday condemned the FIR against senior journalists of Anandabazar Patrika over the use of the expression “gerua gundami (saffron hooliganism)” in reports on clashes at Jadavpur University. In a joint statement, the two press bodies said the FIR was registered on August 28 at the Bowbazar police station in Kolkata against editor Ishani Dutta Roy, chief reporter Soma Mukherjee and others in the editorial team of Anandabazar Patrika, a widely circulated Bengali news daily.
According to the statement, the case was based on a complaint by Shastri Maharaj, described as a Hindu monk, who objected to the term “gerua gundami” used in the publication’s reports on clashes at Jadavpur University on August 19-20.
“Journalists work to uncover the truth that can be unpalatable or even offensive to some, but it constitutes the core of our democracy. The increasing incidence of registration of FIRs against journalists is disturbing. It criminalises the journalist and shows disrespect for the role of a free press,” the statement said.
The press bodies said the complainant sought a thorough police investigation into “who proposed the expression, who approved it and who was involved in editing the report and determining the headline and whether any of them had any intention or knowledge that this could cause serious injury to religious sentiment”.
“To ask for names and positions of people involved in the use of specific terms smacks of targeting journalists and their bona-fide work,” the statement said.
The Indian Women’s Press Corps and Press Association also referred to remarks made by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari at a public rally on the same day, where, according to the statement, he demanded an apology from Anandabazar Patrika for the use of the term.
“It is disconcerting to note the baseless accusations of a right-wing Hindu monk and the language of the highest office in the state is the same. It certainly does not bode well for pursuit of free and fair journalism, the very life breath of our democracy,” the statement said.
The two organisations demanded that the state and its machinery desist from using FIRs to intimidate or suppress journalists.
“We demand that the state and its machinery desist from using tools like the registration of FIRs to intimidate and suppress journalists and instead support a free press to strengthen democracy. In line with this, we call for an immediate withdrawal of the FIRs registered against the journalists of Anandabazar Patrika,” they said. PTI SBR PRK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.