CPJ Condemns J&K Government’s Threat Of Legal Action Against “The Chenab Times” (Image-twitter/OmarAbdullah)
New York, US: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a US-based journalist body, has condemned the Jammu and Kashmir government’s threat of legal action against a Doda-based news portal, The Chenab Times.
The news portal published a video report of the detention of an environmental activist under the Public Safety Act (PSA). As per the act, the Kashmir government can detain any individual for up to two years without a trial or charge.
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Condemning the action of the state, CPJ wrote on X, “Authorities must cease harassing the outlet’s journalists in retaliation for their work. As newly elected J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah seeks to restore the region’s statehood, he must fulfill his electoral promise to uphold press freedom.”
The Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), the official PR wing of the Jammu and Kashmir government, threatened legal action against a local news portal for reporting on the detention of a Doda-based activist under the Public Safety Act (PSA).
In the letter, the district information officer (DIO), Doda, warned of legal action against The Chenab Times for publishing a video report about the detention of Rehamatullah, a Doda-based activist who was booked under PSA. He had allegedly raised issues related to the Dod Municipal Committee.
It is to be highlighted that the notice has come just days after Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah, also the information minister of Jammu and Kashmir, had assured that his government would “not resort to highhandedness” against journalists. He had stated that if the media was “not allowed to function independently… we will not be able to strengthen democracy.”
The video report, which recorded more than 18,700 views and 44 comments till Wednesday evening, was produced by Raja Shakeel, a reporter with The Chenab Times, and was published on its Facebook page on Monday.
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In an attempt to blame the portal for questioning the official claims, an ethical obligation of journalists, the DIO’s letter alleged that the “tone and content” of the report projected the “administrative procedure in a bad light and empathized with the person who has been booked… by following due process of law.”
The letter said, “In the said video you have tried to prejudice the due process of law thus creating a potential law and order issue. You have interpreted the action of administration as per your convenience, which has created rumours in the general public,” reported the Kashmir Times.
