New Delhi: In a statement released today, the Press Club of India strongly condemned filing of a police case against three members of a fact finding committee of the Editors Guild of India and its President on the media coverage of the ethnic clashes and violence in Manipur.
The PCI said that the police have invoked Section 66 A of the Information and Technology Act even though the provision has been struck down by the Supreme Court. On multiple occasions, the apex court has directed that nobody should be prosecuted under the provision.
“The entire issue revolves around the role of the media, and it is evident that the Editor’s guild did a commendable job by sending a fact finding team to check the ground situation and information which are being suppressed.
This is a strong arm tactic by the state government which amounts to intimidation of the apex media body of the country,” added PCI.
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Further, it also said that at a time when violence-marred Manipur needs utmost attention of the government, such a move by the state government would only make the matters worse and would be seen as a deliberate attempt to suppress the truth. As per the PCI, it calls it a case of shooting the messenger rather than taking measures to restore peace in the state.
The PCI demanded that the FIR against EGI President and the three members be withdrawn immediately.
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