Journalist unions concerned over ‘anti-NRC’ dossier

The Indian Journalists’ Union (IJU) and its affiliate Journalists’ Union of Assam (JUA) have expressed concern over the “propaganda” under the “NRC authority logo to malign journalists from across the country as anti-nationals” for their critical reports on the ongoing National Register of Citizens exercise in Assam.

A dossier listing “anti-NRC” journalists and human rights activists has been doing the rounds on social media for about a week now. The office of State NRC Coordinator Prateek Hajela issued a statement saying it has nothing to do with the creation and circulation of the dossier.

“The IJU views this as a hate campaign and crass intolerance against opinions and reports by professional journalists,” the union’s president and Press Council of India member Amar Devulapalli said in a statement on Wednesday.

‘Hate campaign’

He termed the “hate campaign” as an attack on the right to free speech and expression.

JUA president Geetartha Pathak, also the IJU vice-president, said the dossier was a mischievous attempt to intimidate journalists and discourage them from reporting on and analysing the ground reality in Assam.

The IJU and JUA also asked the NRC authority to investigate the origin of the dossier since it has been prepared in their names.