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HomeIndia'Reprehensible' — Editors Guild condemns Yogi govt curbs on media in Hathras,...

‘Reprehensible’ — Editors Guild condemns Yogi govt curbs on media in Hathras, phone-tapping

Not allowing the media to visit the incident spots and tapping the phone conversation of journalists undermine and obstruct the functioning of the media, the Guild said Sunday.

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New Delhi: The Editors Guild Of India has condemned the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh for its conduct with the media covering the alleged Hathras gangrape case, saying it had undermined and obstructed the functioning of the press by tapping journalists’ phones and keeping them from visiting the incident spots.

In a statement issued Sunday, the Guild said, “Not allowing the media to visit the incident spots and tapping the phone conversation of journalists undermine and obstruct the functioning of the media.”

It described the tapping of journalists’ phones as “reprehensible”. “Worse, the tapped conversation of the journalists has been selectively leaked, leading to a social media calumny against them,” the statement read.

The Uttar Pradesh government, the Guild added, should “create conditions in Hathras that do not obstruct journalists in any way”.


Also read: Bhim Army chief visits Hathras woman’s village, seeks ‘Y’ security for her family


‘Worst such case of interference’

The Hathras case, the Editors’ Guild said, is the worst case of interference by scale, but noted that such attacks on the media have become a growing trend in the last few months, “in which a few other state governments have also indulged in such harassment of journalists”.

“The Guild condemns these and demands corrective action,” the statement added.

The alleged gangrape and consequent death of a 20-year-old Dalit woman from Hathras by four upper caste men has led to widespread outrage across the country.

The Hathras administration’s decision to hurriedly cremate the woman’s body, in the absence of her family, has added to the outrage. The administration had also restricted the entry of the media into the village after the cremation.


Also read: ‘Drunk on power’ UP Police will break the system beyond repair


 

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