Rajya Sabha MP MV Shreyams Kumar has said that those who are trying to uncover the truth are being dubbed “anti-nationals” in the country.
Inaugurating a protest meeting here on Tuesday to mark the year-long imprisonment of Delhi-based Malayalam journalist Siddiqui Kappan, he said independent news media organizations have been intimidated and made puppets of the central government.
Mr. Kappan was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police last year when he was on his way to report the brutal rape and murder of a Dalit girl in Hathras.
“The job of the media is to tell the truth to the people, who have a right to know what is happening in the political, social and cultural spheres. Democracy is being strengthened by this. However, this freedom has ended in India,” he said. Mr Kumar said that many national mainstream media organizations are reluctant to report important incidents.
“But at the same time, fake information is being created and spread across the country. The damage it is doing to democracy is serious.”
The leader of the Loktantrik Janata Dal said that Mr. Kappan was jailed on sedition charges for trying to report a serious issue. An attempt was being made to create an emotional atmosphere by threatening the country.
This was to curtail people’s right to know, Mr Kumar said.
Senior journalist NP Rajendran said that the media fraternity is now facing a big challenge as the authorities are freely accusing the journalists.
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