Press Bodies Slam BJP’s Sedition Charges Against Journalists Siddharth Varadarajan, Karan Thapar
Leading journalist bodies have strongly condemned the filing of sedition charges against senior journalists Siddharth Varadarajan and Karan Thapar of The Wire, calling the move a direct attack on press freedom.
The Press Club of India (PCI) and the Indian Women Press Corps (IWPC) issued a joint statement on Monday expressing “dismay” over the FIR registered by the Assam Police Crime Branch in Guwahati, which invoked Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) — the new sedition law.
The FIR reportedly stems from a complaint filed by a BJP leader against a story published by The Wire on June 28, 2025.
The article was based on a presentation by India’s defence attaché to Indonesia, Captain (Indian Navy) Shiv Kumar.
This is the second FIR against The Wire in two months.
On July 11, 2025, the Assam Police had already registered an FIR under Section 152 and other BNS provisions in Morigaon district. The Supreme Court later granted protection from coercive action to Mr. Varadarajan and all The Wire journalists in that case.
However, the new FIR was filed by the Guwahati Crime Branch on August 12, 2025, with summons issued to Mr. Varadarajan and Mr. Thapar to appear before the investigating officer on August 22. Failure to appear could lead to arrest, according to the police notice.
The PCI and IWPC alleged that the Assam Police had “unleashed vindictive actions” against The Wire and its editors despite the Supreme Court’s earlier protection order.
They warned that Section 152 of BNS, widely seen as a rebranded version of the colonial-era Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) — was being weaponised against the media.
“While we welcome the relief given by the Supreme Court last week, the registration of a fresh case makes it apparent that Section 152 has become a tool to target journalists in India,” the statement said.
The bodies also demanded the immediate withdrawal of the FIRs against Mr. Varadarajan and Mr. Thapar.
Scrapping of Section 152 of BNS, which they called “draconian” and a threat to Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution that guarantees freedom of expression.
In May 2022, the Supreme Court had ordered suspension of prosecutions under Section 124A (sedition) of the IPC.
But in July 2023, the government introduced Section 152 in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which many critics argue is simply a “repackaged” sedition law.
Last week, The Wire also filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of Section 152.
The apex court has issued notices to the Assam government and the Centre on the plea.
Media rights analysts and free speech advocates say the case is a test for India’s democratic institutions. According to them.
Analysts believe the Assam Police’s move shows how the new sedition provision can be used to intimidate journalists.
The repeated FIRs and threat of arrest are seen as efforts to silence critical journalism and force media houses into self-censorship.
Experts argue that the Supreme Court’s response to The Wire’s petition will be crucial in deciding whether Section 152 survives judicial scrutiny.
The Wire has confirmed that its website, which had been temporarily blocked following the complaint, was unblocked after it removed the disputed article.
However, the portal said this entire episode proves that Section 152 of BNS has already become a tool to “chill the press into silence.
