Guwahati: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi has termed the case filed by the Assam Police’s Crime Branch against two eminent journalists, Karan Thapar and Siddharth Varadarajan, as an attack on freedom of speech.
Both journalists, who earned national and international recognition through their work with The Hindu and The Wire, have been booked under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, though the details of the charges and clarity in the FIR remain absent. Gogoi reminded that both had earlier received the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Award for their commitment to independent journalism.
It may be recalled that on August 12, the Supreme Court had already granted anticipatory bail to The Wire’s founding editor, ruling that the Assam Police could not arrest him. The apex court further observed that informing the public about potential crises during difficult times was part of the very duty of journalism, and that copies of FIRs filed against eminent citizens engaged in journalism must be furnished before any interrogation.
Gogoi added that the Assam Police’s move to obstruct these two journalists from exercising their right to free expression amounted to misuse of legal provisions and was unconstitutional. He urged the Assam Police, through a public message, to uphold the sanctity of press freedom, stated a press release.
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