NEW DELHI, AUGUST 3:
The Press Club of India (PCI) has come out strongly against the FIR filed by Shimla Police against journalist Sanjeev Sharma and news portal Samwad Bharat, calling it a clear-cut attempt to "intimidate and silence independent journalism."
The FIR was filed after the journalist shared a Facebook post originally written by the son of a road accident victim, who alleged that multiple emergency calls went unanswered, causing critical delay.
The police claim this amounted to spreading misinformation and tarnishing their image.
But PCI isn’t buying that.
“This is nothing but shooting the messenger. Instead of fixing accountability, the police are going after the journalist who dared to highlight the failure,” said Gautam Lahiri, President, Press Club of India.
Calling it a dangerous pattern seen across the country, Lahiri added, “Irrespective of who is in power, we are seeing growing attacks on journalists who raise valid questions. This trend is unacceptable in any democracy.”
The Press Club has urged Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to intervene, withdraw the FIR immediately, and ensure the police understand the role and rights of the press.
“We appeal to the CM to sanitize the police force about how the media works. Journalists asking tough questions cannot be treated as criminals,” Lahiri said.
#⃣PressFreedom #⃣JournalismIsNotACrime #⃣WithdrawFIR #⃣StopTargetingMedia
