NEW DELHI, 15 Oct: The Indian Journalists Union (IJU) has expressed grave concern over the filing of an FIR against Sunil Chadha of ‘The Newz Radar’ in Himachal Pradesh and a murderous attack on journalist and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Press Association President Ramesh Behl in Punjab.
The two cases, the IJU said, must be viewed as an assault on freedom of expression and stifling press freedom, and demanded justice for the journalists.
According to reports, the Himachal Pradesh Police filed an FIR against Chadha, executive editor of the online portal ‘The Newz Radar’, following a complaint lodged by Shimla resident Sandeep Aukta,alleging that Chadha’s report, ‘A critique on financial management of Congress government and an analysis of party’s defeat in Haryana assembly elections’, was aimed to damage Congress leaders’ reputation.
“While his report was balanced, quoting both the opposition BJP and Chief Minister Sukhu, the FIRappears to be politically motivated,” the IJU said.
In the other incident, Behl was grievously injured (multiple fractures on legs and arms) in an attack in Batala (Gurdaspur district) by five people, two of whom he identified as associates of AAP MLA Sherry Kalsi, for “raising the issue of disrespecting the tricolour, some time back in Batala.”
Kalsi has denied allegations. In a video from his hospital bed, which went viral, Behl appealed to the judiciary for justice, saying that he had been attacked three times before and had given a sworn statement to the Batala SSP, who took no action.
In a statement, IJU President Geetartha Pathak and Secretary-General Sabina Inderjit said that “in Chadha’s case the Himachal government must withdraw the FIR, and in Behl’s case, the Batala police must apprehend the culprits and MLAs must learn to respect freedom of media.”
Safety and security of journalists and press freedom must be paramount in any democracy and the respective governments must ensure these are followed in both letter and in spirit, they said.
