The Mumbai Press Club on Saturday demanded immediate withdrawal of multiple FIRs against six journalists and publishers, including Rajdeep Sardesai and Mrinal Pande, for “their coverage and comments” made in connection with farmers’ protest rally in the national capital on January 26.         

Apart from Rajeep Sardesai and Mrinal Pande, the other journalists and publishers against whom multiple FIRs were filed were: Vinod Jose, Zafar Agha, Paresh Nath and Anant Nath.

Condemning the filing of multiple FIRs against six journalists and publishers, the  Mumbai Press Club rooted for the immediate withdrawal of these FIRs against the 6 journalists, and called upon the Union government to stop using coercive and threatening practices, like filing of cases under the UAPA Act, pressing charges of sedition, etc against newspapers and journalists.

“The events that took place around the farmers rally on Republic Day were chaotic and information was not easily available.…In these circumstances, to pin blame on the journalists for being responsible for the violence and disruption, is reprehensible,” Mumbai Press Club President Gurbir Singh said.   

“Worse still is the attempt of the Police to stick sedition charges on the journalists using archaic laws. It shows the growing intolerance of the Union government against those who do not toe the line of the ruling establishment,” Singh said.

“The Mumbai Press Club sees the filing of these FIRs as part of a dangerous trend in the country against the Fourth Estate which seeks to demonize, and then neutralize, those who cover events and issues that are not in sync with the government’s policies,” he said, citing the instance of Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) office bearer Siddique Kappan’s arrest by the UP Police under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).