Editor's Guild, DUJ Slam FIRs Against Journalists Over R-Day Violence

New Delhi: The Editors Guild of India on Friday strongly condemned the filing of FIRs against senior editors and journalists for their reporting on the farmers' tractor rally and the ensuing violence here on Republic Day, saying it was an attempt to "intimidate, harass and stifle" the media.

In a statement, the Guild demanded that such FIRs be withdrawn immediately and the media be allowed to report without fear and with freedom.

It said journalists have been specifically targeted for reporting the accounts pertaining to the death of one of the protestors on their personal social media handles as well as those of the publications they lead and represent.

"It must be noted that on the day of the protest and high action, several reports were emerging from eyewitnesses on the ground as well as from police, and therefore it was only natural for journalists to report all the details as they emerged. This is in line with established norms of journalistic practice," the Guild said.

The Editors Guild said it "strongly condemns the intimidating manner in the way in which the Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh Police" have registered FIRs against senior editors and journalists (including current and former office-bearers of EGI) for reporting on the farmers' protest rallies and the ensuing violence that took place in the national capital on January 26.

The FIRs allege that the tweets were intentionally malicious and were the reason for the desecration of the Red Fort, the Guild noted, asserting that nothing can be further from truth.

"On a day thick with information, the EGI finds these FIRs, filed in different states, as an attempt to intimidate, harass, browbeat, and stifle the media," the Guild said.

That the FIRs have been booked under a total of 10 different provisions, including sedition laws, promoting communal disharmony, and insulting religious beliefs, is further disturbing, it said.

"This targeting of journalists grievously violates and tramples on every value that our democratic republic stands for. It is intended to grievously hurt the media and prevent it from working as an independent watchdog of Indian democracy," the statement said.

"We demand that the FIRs be withdrawn immediately and the media be allowed to report without fear and with freedom," the Guild said.

The Guild also reiterated its earlier demand that the higher judiciary takes serious cognizance of the fact that several laws such as a sedition are often used to impede freedom of speech, and issue guidelines to ensure that "wanton use of such laws does not serve as a deterrent to a free press".

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and six journalists have been booked by the Noida Police for sedition, among other charges, over the violence during the farmers' tractor rally in Delhi, officials said on Thursday.

The FIR was lodged following a complaint by a resident who alleged that "digital broadcast" and "social media posts" by these people were responsible for the violence during a tractor rally by farmers in the national capital.

The journalists named in the FIR are Mrinal Pande, Rajdeep Sardesai, Vinod Jose, Zafar Agha, Paresh Nath and Anant Nath. An unidentified person has also been named in the FIR.

The Indian Women’s Press Corps (IWPC) also "unequivocally" condemned the Uttar Pradesh Police's decision to file an FIR for sedition against Mrinal Pande, founder president of the IWPC, along with several leading journalists, allegedly because they shared "unverified" news during the farmers tractor rally in Delhi on Republic Day.

In a statement, the IWPC said it believes that the charges against Pande, who has been the editor of several leading news publications in the country, "smack of a deliberate attempt to misrepresent the situation".

"It is an attempt to browbeat the media and push it to fall in line," the IWPC said.

Stop Multiple Attacks on Journalists: DUJ

The Delhi Union of Journalist (DUJ) has condemned the spate of attacks on journalist, including the slapping of sedition and other charges against six senior journalists/owners after the Republic Day farmer tractor rally/

In a statement, DUJ president SK Pande and general secretary Sujata Madhok, demanded immediate withdrawal of the cases against the journalists and reiterated their demand for a special law to protect media persons from arbitrary charges, arrests and prosecution for doing their job. 

Read the full statement below:

The Delhi Union of Journalists salutes all the intrepid journalists who are braving the bitter cold to report night and day from the Delhi borders where farmers are protesting against the farm bills.  We deeply regret the multiple attacks on journalists by the state and other actors at this polarised time.  We are shocked that six journalists, including editors/owners have been slapped with sedition and several other charges for reportage on the farmer agitation. We are alarmed at the attempt to break into the house of Neha Dixit and the repeated threats she is receiving. Further, we are appalled at the fake news on social media about so called ‘women journalists’ being harassed by farmers.

Rajdeep Sardesai, Mrinal Pande, the editor of National Herald Zafar Agha, the editors of Caravan Vinod Jose and Ananth Nath and its editor/publisher Paresh Nath have been charged with sedition under S.124 A, besides charges under S.153A, 153B, 295A, 298, 504, 506, 505 (2), 34, 120 B of the Indian Penal Code as well as S.66 of the Information Technology Act. These Sections refer to promoting enmity between groups, outraging religious feelings, provoking breach of peace, criminal intimidation, public mischief, criminal conspiracy et al – a whole range of offences.

A non-bailable warrant in a defamation case filed by the Adani group was issued last week, by a lower court in Gujarat, against veteran investigative journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta.

Award winning journalist Neha Dixit has filed a police complaint about repeated threats of rape, acid attack and death, followed by an attempt to break into her house on January 25.  Gutsy women journalists like Dixit continue to cover controversial issues despite such threats. Meanwhile, fake Twitter handles are being used to defame the farmers by alleging that women journalists covering the protests have been harassed.  The fake handles in women’s names, with photographs of young women attached, repeat identical complaints -- clearly the work of bots/trolls.  This actually endangers women reporters who could be accused of spreading lies like other ‘godi media’.

The Delhi Union of Journalists demands the immediate withdrawal of the cases against the journalists.  We reiterate our demand for a special law to protect media persons from arbitrary charges, arrests and prosecution for doing their job.  We urge the repeal of draconian laws including the law on sedition.  We ask for immediate investigation of the serious threats against Neha Dixit and prosecution of the guilty. We also demand that Twitter take down the fake handles immediately.