Editors Guild Condemns Targeting Of Journalists Over Red Fort Violence

Reacting to the cases lodged against Rajdeep Sardesai, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that she is surprised how most in the media are silent on the issue. “In our democratic system we must raise our voice. The media is an important pillar of our democracy ,” she said in a tweet.

The Guild called the targeting of journalists an attack on the democratic values that the country stands for. It further said that the journalists have been specifically targeted for reporting the accounts pertaining to the death of one of the protesters 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 Guild also urged the judiciary to take 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”.