The Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists(APUWJ) on Saturday resolved to step up campaign to press for scrapping of the recent gag order issued by the government that aims to counter alleged ‘false, baseless and defamatory media coverage’.
‘Kills free press’
At a roundtable held coinciding with National Press Day, APUWJ State president I.V. Subba Rao said APUWJ, through its parent organisation Indian Journalists Union(IJU), would seek the intervention of President Ram Nath Kovind as the State Government order(GO) RT No. 2430 went against free press, sine qua non for a vibrant democracy.
‘Draconian’
The order empowers department heads to issue rejoinders, file complaints and lodge cases, if need be, through public prosecutor, against defamatory news items pertaining to their respective departments and take legal action.
“When Press Council of India(PCI) is there to monitor media houses and to take note of any derogatory media reports, there is no need for such an order. Enough legal provisions are there in the statute book to rein in errant media houses,” he said, ahead of the protest planned at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi next month.
Late Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy issued a similar order in the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh but did not implement it following vociferous protests from journalist unions and opposition parties. But the order was not withdrawn either, he recalled, adding that the present GO was more ‘draconian’ than the previous one.
“We will not rest till the order is scrapped,” he asserted at the meeting attended by representatives of the opposition TDP, BJP, CPI, CPI(M, CPI(ML) New Democracy and civil society organisations like Prakasam District Development Forum, Poura Sangam.
