‘Reprehensible’: Editors Guild Condemns UP Govt For Obstructing Media Coverage On Hathras Case
The Editors Guild of India has strongly criticised the Yogi government and the UP police for preventing journalists from reporting on Hathras case, and the phone tapping of reporters.
While issuing a statement, the Editors Guild said it "condemns the manner in which the law enforcement agencies of the Uttar Pradesh government, led by Yogi Adityanath, have prevented media persons from reporting on developments in and around Hathras after a brutal assault on a woman leading to her death and the hurried cremation of her body by the authorities without the presence of the family of the deceased.”
The Guild added: “Equally reprehensible is the way the government has tapped the telephones of journalists engaged in covering the Hathras incidents. Worse, the tapped conversation of the journalists has been selectively leaked, leading to a social media calumny against them.” It also criticised the phone tapping incident, and “noted with concern that such attacks against the media are becoming part of a growing trend” in recent months. “Not allowing the media to visit the incident spots and tapping the phone conversation of journalists undermine and obstruct the functioning of the media,” it said. The body also took umbrage on the manner in which funeral of the victim was done without her family and the press was prevented from reporting on it, and demanded the “Government create conditions in Hathras that do not obstruct journalists in any way”. “Hathras is the worst such case in the scale of interference but the Guild also notes with concern that such attacks against the media are becoming part of a growing trend seen in recent months, in which a few other state governments have also indulged in such harassment of journalists. The Guild condemns these and demands corrective action,” it said.
The Editors Guild of India has issued a statement pic.twitter.com/mDegUOXEQ2
— Editors Guild of India (@IndEditorsGuild) October 4, 2020
The Guild added: “Equally reprehensible is the way the government has tapped the telephones of journalists engaged in covering the Hathras incidents. Worse, the tapped conversation of the journalists has been selectively leaked, leading to a social media calumny against them.” It also criticised the phone tapping incident, and “noted with concern that such attacks against the media are becoming part of a growing trend” in recent months. “Not allowing the media to visit the incident spots and tapping the phone conversation of journalists undermine and obstruct the functioning of the media,” it said. The body also took umbrage on the manner in which funeral of the victim was done without her family and the press was prevented from reporting on it, and demanded the “Government create conditions in Hathras that do not obstruct journalists in any way”. “Hathras is the worst such case in the scale of interference but the Guild also notes with concern that such attacks against the media are becoming part of a growing trend seen in recent months, in which a few other state governments have also indulged in such harassment of journalists. The Guild condemns these and demands corrective action,” it said.
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