Journalist associations have strongly spoken out against the attack on senior journalist Nikhil Wagle by members of a political party, alleged to be BJP workers, in Pune on February 9.
The workers were protesting Wagle’s allegedly offensive remarks against prime minister Narendra Modi and BJP leader LK Advani, after the government’s decision to confer Advani with the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award. Media reports said 10 BJP workers were arrested in connection with the attack.
The Editors Guild of India urged the Maharashtra government to book the guilty and expressed concern that FIRs had been registered against Wagle at the Vishrambaug police station in Pune instead.
“We urge law enforcement agencies to exercise restraint before registering complaints against journalists as an FIR, lest the process of investigation becomes a punishment itself,” the guild said.
In a separate statement, the Prèss Club of India, Delhi, expressed deep shock and outrage over the attack.
“As per reports, the attackers set upon Wagle’s car with a deliberate intent to cause him serious bodily harm. It was learned the attack was in response to certain views he had expressed on a social media platform about certain political persons. That the expression of such views should prompt a murderous attack on him is shocking beyond words. To compound matters, a FIR has also been registered against him under criminal laws.”
The PCI said it is a matter of extreme concern that such attacks on the media rather than abate have increased in alarming proportions. It said the draconian charges of promoting enmity, mischief and defamation against Wagle should be dropped.
