Kerala: Journalist Unions Protest CPI(M)'s Threat To MediaOne Managing Editor
Malappuram, Kerala: Journalist organisations have condemned the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M) after party workers shouted death-threat slogans targeting MediaOne Managing Editor C Dawood during a protest rally.
The controversy erupted during a demonstration conducted by the CPI(M) Vandoor Area Committee, where party workers reportedly raised slogans threatening to “chop off” Dawood’s hand. The threat was made in response to a reference made by Dawood on MediaOne to a speech by former MLA N Kannan of CPI(M) in the legislative assembly. He was hosting an explainer show to the allegations by the party then. As heard in the video, the protesters shouted: “If you come against the movement by telling non-existent stories, those hands will be chopped off.”
The Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) has issued a strong statement condemning the threatening slogans. The KUWJ state committee described the incident as a “highly condemnable” attack on press freedom and civil rights. It stated that, while political parties are entitled to disagree with the media or challenge its content, resorting to open threats against journalists is unacceptable for any democratic organisation.
In a joint statement, KUWJ State President KP Reji and General Secretary Suresh Edappal demanded that the police register a case against those responsible for the provocative sloganeering. They urged the CPI(M) leadership to take accountability and restrain party cadres from engaging in such hostile behaviour.
Adding to the condemnation, the KUWJ MediaOne Cell said the incident was a direct challenge to independent journalism and an infringement upon media freedom. “It is not befitting for political parties to threaten to chop off a journalist’s hand for making political criticisms during a channel programme,” said Shida KK, Secretary of the KUWJ MediaOne Cell.
The Cell warned that such actions have created a sense of fear among MediaOne employees and highlighted the dangers of inciting violence in the name of political criticism. It further demanded that police take swift action and register a formal case against those involved.
