: No. 13/97/11-12, January 18, 2012, The Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, State Government of Chhattisgarh, Raipur. The Chief Secretary, State Government of Chhattisgarh, Raipur. The Home Secretary, State Government of Chhattisgarh, Raipur. Dear Sir, I have received a large number of complaints/representations from Rajasthan Patrika Group of Newspapers about harassment to the mediapersons by the authorities of the State Government of Chhattisgarh. The Copies of these complaints are being enclosed.
It is the duty of the Press Council of India to ensure the freedom of the press vide Section 13 of the Press Council Act, 1978, and the Press has a fundamental right of free speech under Article 19(1) (a) of the Constitution. Obviously, the press cannot be free if journalists are harassed. If the allegations in these complaints are correct it is a serious matter.
Please, therefore, send your reply to these complaints to me preferably within two weeks of the receipt of this letter. I may mention that I sent a similar letter to the Chief Ministers of Maharashtra and Jammu and Kashmir when I heard of harassment to journalists in their States. I said in my letter that a journalist is only doing his duty, like a lawyer arguing a case. A lawyer who defends a criminal does not become a criminal. So also a journalist discharging his duties cannot be regarded as a person who has done a wrong act. He is only exercising his fundamental right under Article 19 (1) (a) of the Constitution.
With regards,
Yours faithfully,
(Markandey Katju)
It is the duty of the Press Council of India to ensure the freedom of the press vide Section 13 of the Press Council Act, 1978, and the Press has a fundamental right of free speech under Article 19(1) (a) of the Constitution. Obviously, the press cannot be free if journalists are harassed. If the allegations in these complaints are correct it is a serious matter.
Please, therefore, send your reply to these complaints to me preferably within two weeks of the receipt of this letter. I may mention that I sent a similar letter to the Chief Ministers of Maharashtra and Jammu and Kashmir when I heard of harassment to journalists in their States. I said in my letter that a journalist is only doing his duty, like a lawyer arguing a case. A lawyer who defends a criminal does not become a criminal. So also a journalist discharging his duties cannot be regarded as a person who has done a wrong act. He is only exercising his fundamental right under Article 19 (1) (a) of the Constitution.
With regards,
Yours faithfully,
(Markandey Katju)
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