R-day violence: Editors Guild demands immediate withdrawal of FIR against journalists

The Editors Guild of India (EGI) condemned the FIRs registered against journalists and senior editors for their reports on the unrest during the farmer’s tractor rally on Republic Day and demanded their immediate withdrawal.

New Delhi: The Editors Guild of India (EGI) on Saturday protested against sedition and other criminal charges lodged against journalists for their reports during the farmers' tractor rally on January 26 and demanded their immediate withdrawal.

"Even during the emergency when rules against journalist were so harsh, I don't recall anybody going in on sedition. Sedition is a law which no democratic country in the whole world has this law on its statutes," said Anand K Sahay, president of Press Club of India.

Six journalists, including Rajdeep Sardesai, Nirmal Pande, Zafar Agha, Anand Nath, Vinod Jose and Paresh Nath were booked by the Noida Police on Thursday for sedition among other charges, over the violence during farmers' tractor rally in the national capital. Similar FIRs have also been filed against journalists in Haryana and Madhya Pradesh too.

The FIRs stated that they shared misinformed news and instigated violence on 26 January.

The Editors Guild passed the resolution and demanded that FIRs be withdrawn immediately including that of sedition against the editors and publications filed on January 28 and all journalists in the country in the recent years.

"We resolve to carry out a campaign in this regard if the charges are not immediately dropped. Our struggle will be within the ambit of the constitution," said the Editors Guild of India.

Addressing the gathering of journalists, Rajdeep Sardesai said that the time has come for all of us to protest in one voice that sedition is an unacceptable charge against journalists.