The Editors Guild of India also objected to the Council’s intervention application, saying that “an institution created to safeguard press freedom is not only failing to speak up for it but is perversely arguing for a media clampdown in the name of national interest”.

Facing criticism over its stand on the restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir in its application in the Supreme Court, the Press Council of India has written to its members proposing to inform the apex court that it stands for press freedom and does not approve of any restrictions on the media.
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The communication comes after some members of the Council protested against the “unilateral” move of its chairman, C K Prasad, a former judge of the Supreme Court, to intervene in a case — filed by Kashmir Times executive editor Anuradha Bhasin — backing the restrictions in J&K.

The Editors Guild of India also objected to the Council’s intervention application, saying that “an institution created to safeguard press freedom is not only failing to speak up for it but is perversely arguing for a media clampdown in the name of national interest”.

In a letter to all its members, Press Council secretary Anupama Bhatnagar said that the next hearing is slated for Wednesday, and that the Council will inform the Supreme Court that it will reply only after a fact-finding committee formed by it has reported back.

“As all of you know that the Press Council of India has filed an application for intervention and further, that the Council has constituted a sub-committee to study the media scenario in Jammu and Kashmir and is yet to visit and submit the report,” the Council said in the letter.

The letter “proposed” that the Council inform the SC on Wednesday: “The Council stands for the freedom of the press and does not approve of any sort of restriction on the media. A detailed reply shall be filed on receipt of the report of the sub-committee.”

The letter asked members for any “comment, amplification, addition, subtraction” by Tuesday end so that its advocate “is apprised on the stand of the Council”.

In its application to intervene, the Council had said that it should be heard as the case “concerns the rights of the journalists/media for free and fair reporting on the one hand and national interest of integrity and sovereignty on the other hand”. It had stated that though Bhasin had filed a petition to remove restrictions on communications as it had affected the circulation of her newspaper, the Council said that there is no mention “about abrogation of the most contentious provision of the Constitution of India by the Parliament, which has caused the restrictions on communication facilities and other facilities in the interest of the integrity and sovereignty of the nation”.

Members had said that the chairman had not consulted them before moving the intervention application, and that they were not informed about the decision during a meeting on August 22.

The intervention application evoked a strong reaction from the Editors Guild. In a statement on Tuesday, the Guild said it is “gravely concerned” that the Council, “an institution created to safeguard press freedom, is not only failing to speak up for it but is perversely arguing for a media clampdown in the name of national interest”. It added that it “believes that it is a free media that offers a reliable feedback loop to those in charge of governance, that keeps the citizenry well informed… and which acts as a safety valve for the expression of frustrations or criticism… free media is, therefore, very much in the national interest”.

It said it expects the chairman “to rescind his unilateral decision, apparently taken without consulting Council members”.

At a protest meet of the Press Association, a resolution was adopted, demanding that the chairman “immediately withdraw his intervention in the court”.

Story first appeared in The Indian Express on 28 Aug 2019