Rajdeep Sardesai appeals to unitedly protest against slapping of Sedition charges against journalists

The senior journalist of India Today TV who has recently been taken to task by the TV Today management by deducting his one month’s salary and reprimanding for alleged wrong reporting in the ITO death case of a farmer when his tractor rammed the police barricades on Republic Day, saying that he was shot by Delhi police, Rajdeep Sardesai has today warned the journalists for being divided on “left, right and centre” ideological considerations not able to give a formidable fight against the government’s repressive actions against the journalist community even going to the extent of registering SEDITION charges against them, due to division within themselves.

He catagorically said that whether it’s the government of BJP, Congress or any other government, they abuse power.

The entire journalist community should unitedly protest against Sedition cases registered against journos appealed Rajdeep Sardesai.

Senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai was today expressing his views in a meeting organised by Press Club of India at PCI vicinity at Raisina Road in which heads of various journalist organisations spoke against the present government’s repression and registration of false cases against journalists on serious charges like SEDITION, in various parts of the country while performing professional duties amounting to victimisation of journalists n scuttling of freedom of press n free expression.

Senior journalist and popular television news anchor Rajdeep Sardesai while expressing his serious concern over charging journalists with severe cases of “Sedition” said whether scribes are in Manipur or Kashmir, in a Congress ruled state or a BJP ruled state, the journalists of entire country should come together forgetting their differences, with complete unanimity to oppose Sedition tooth and nail as it is unacceptable to the journalistic community of the country. He added that we are protesting against Sedition on the day when the greatest man referring to father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi, went to jail.

Expressing his surprise and shock over stifling the voice of journalists in various parts of the country Rajdeep Sardesai said that even gentlest senior journalists like Zafar Agha and seventy five year old reputed journalist Mrinal Pandey have not been spared and cases registered against them.

A journalist in Manipur has recently gone to jail on Sedition charges and several others in various parts of the country slapped with these charges falsely, amounting to their continued harrassment and victimisation for not fault of theirs.

Let’s ask from our inner conscience whether these vindictive actions of the present government are justified said Rajdeep.

He appealed to journalists of the country to come forward unitedly, forgetting their vested political interests and other differences if any and stand unitedly to counter the arbitrary dictatorial ill conceived notions, designs and actions of this govt strongly and effectively.

Another senior journalist n editor of The print and former editor of India express Shekhar Gupta clearly said that no mistakes by journalist amount to committing any act of crime inviting registration of any case not to speak of “Sedition” which is a very serious charge. If a journalist commits any mistake while reporting he can amend it and get out of his mistake. There is no point registering any case against him or her not to speak of Sedition. A journalist is allowed or entitled to make any error, if he corrects it or amends it it does not amount to any criminality said Shekhar Gupta.

Strongly criticizing the govt not directly naming it, Shekhar Gupta said : slapping false and serious charges like sedition is an unambiguous threat to journalists to fall in line to the dictates of the ruling political dispensation lest be ready to face the music by being the victim of either going to long term jail sentences, even life imprisonment , facing serious serious legal consequences like contempt proceedings or long case adjournment waits in court’s etc said Shekhar Gupta.

He finally urged journalists to give up numerous differences between each other and respect freedom of expression despite ideological differences to keep the fourth estate strong and united, atleast to strongly counter the government’s prejudiced actions of victimising n harassing journalists on false and fabricated charges to stifle their voices especially against severe charges of SEDITION.

Several other senior journalists representing various journalists organisations unitedly and strongly raised their voice of dissent against the govt for slapping false cases even severe sedition charges against journalists demanding revocation of these cases and release of those in jails.

Prominent amongst those who spoke on this occasion were PCI president Anand Sahay, president, Indian press association Jai Shankar Gupta, president of Delhi union of journalists Mr. Pandey, Mr. Sinha, general secretary PCI Mr. Bagaitkar, senior journalist n president Editors Guild of India Seema Mustafa and several others. A resolution condemning the false registration of cases against journalists including charges of SEDITION against Zafar Agha and Mrinal Pandey demanding their revocation etc was also passed by a voice vote by large number of journalists present on this occasion.

The resolution passed by voice vote, while demanding withdrawal of sedition charges said : This meeting expresses deep disapproval of the actions of the governments to seek to disrupt the work of journalists to inform the people and demands that governments withdraw the criminal charges, including that of sedition, against the editors and publications brought on January 28, 2021 and all the journalists in the country in recent years. We also seek that governments stop pressurising news organisations, the resolution reads. We further demand scrapping of the anti democratic sedition law and the ending of dangerous, motivated and misguided use of laws like Unlawful Activities ( Prevention) Act ( UAPA, against journalists as these are meant for terrorists adds the resolution.