The case was brought against Ms. Sharma for allegedly misrepresenting the facts. (Representative)
New Delhi:
A media outlet described on Saturday as “an act of intimidation” the filing of an FIR in Uttar Pradesh against a journalist regarding a report on the impact of the foreclosure on a village, claiming that it was part an “established pattern” of harassment of independent scribes.
In a press release, the Media Foundation recorded its strong protest against the FIR filed by the government of Uttar Pradesh against Supriya Sharma, editor of the news portal Scroll.in.
The case was brought against Sharma for allegedly misrepresenting the facts in a report on the impact of the foreclosure in a village adopted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, police sources said on Thursday.
The FIR against Ms. Sharma and the editor of Scroll is an “act of intimidation and a case of abuse of process”, intended to deter honest and critical reporting, said the Media Foundation.
The Media Foundation was created in 1979 to defend freedom of speech, expression and information.
The FIR against Ms. Sharma is just the latest example of similar coercive action against professional journalists, part of “an established pattern of harassment and humiliation of independent journalists,” the report said.
“This is an unacceptable attack on press freedom,” said the foundation, whose president is experienced journalist Harish Khare.
The Media Foundation called on the judiciary and the central and state governments to respect the constitutionally guaranteed spirit of freedom of speech and expression.
