Restore Press Freedom" Rally in Bathinda Slams Bhagwant Mann for FIRs on Scribes, Vows Statewide Stir

Restore Press Freedom" Rally in Bathinda Slams Bhagwant Mann for FIRs on Scribes, Vows Statewide Stir

Bathinda 24 January ( PDL ) : A swelling crowd of journalists from all over Punjab, farmers' unions, and other democratic organisations joined hands under the banner of "Restore Press Freedom" and protested in front of the DC office here today, assailing the Bhagwant Mann government for registering FIRs against ten digital media scribes and an RTI activist. Expressing deep concern over the throttling of the voice of media—especially the web news channels—speakers one after the other warned the government that the protests would be extended to the Majha and Doaba regions of the state in a phased manner.

Reminding AAP Convenor Arvind Kejriwal and CM Bhagwant Mann that the Constitution of India under Article 19(1)(a) guarantees freedom of speech and expression to every citizen, including the press, which needs to be protected by all means under all circumstances, the journalists—with the support of supporting organisations—have now rolled up their sleeves for a fight to the finish.

It was noted that, on the pattern of the BJP government at the centre, the AAP government was either buying media houses through advertisements or trying to suppress others by using brute police force, as had been done on the issue of the uncalled-for use of the state helicopter. It was brought to the notice of the gathering that India had been placed at number 151 out of a total of 180 countries of the world on the Press Freedom and Rights Index.

Notable speakers included Joginder Singh Ugrahan, Nirbhai Singh Dhuddike, Rajinder Singh Deepwala, Manjit Singh Dhaner, Jagjit Singh Dalewal, Zora Singh Nasrali, Jagmel Singh, Manga Singh Azad, Shingara Singh Maan, Ashok Kamboj, Jhanda Singh Jethuke, and Rana Ranveer Singh. Among the journalists who addressed the gathering were Bakhtaur Singh Dhillon, Hamir Singh, Deepak Chanarthal, Rajinder Singh Taggar of the Active Journalists' Union of Punjab, and Rattandeep Dhaliwal. The stage was managed by Swaran Singh Danewalia and Sehaldeep.