Special teams to assess freedom of Press
Taking note of several reports and complaints from “various quarters,” the Press Council of India has felt that freedom of Press is under threat in many states in the country.
In this view, the Council has decided to send fact-finding teams to these states to take stock of the ground realities, PCI Chairman Justice Markandey Katju said in a statement here on Friday.
Katju, however, did not mention names of the states from where his Council has received “a large number of complaints.”
Katju said reports and complaints received by his Council from many states so far suggested that freedom of Press was being “imperilled” by various ways including physical assaults on journalists and media establishments by various government agencies and other organisations.
Government advertisements and other facilities are also withheld, when a newspaper is critical of the government, he said, referring to reports and complaints his Council has so far received.
“Since I feel that this freedom is under threat in many States I intend to send Fact Finding Teams to some of the States from where we are getting a large number of such complaints,” the PCI chief said, adding that he has also sought the opinion of the Members of the Press Council in this connection.
Katju said he has already written to the chief ministers of Jammu & Kashmir, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh with respect reports of violation of the freedom of Press.
He has also sent a letter to the chief minister of West Bengal objecting to the new rules regarding accreditation of journalists, some of which are likely to affect the freedom of Press adversely, Katju said.
“Violation of the Constitutional right to freedom of the press will not be tolerated by the Press Council any more,” he added.
