Bengaluru civic activists condemn attack on press freedom

Civic society activists, student activists, lawyers, and representatives of several civic groups gathered at Freedom Park on Thursday to condemn the unlawful raids on NewsClick, the English news portal.

The protest call was collectively sounded by the All India Lawyers Association for Justice (AILAJ), All India Students Association (AISA), Bahutva Karnataka, DIGIPUB, the Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI), and the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL).

Condemning the attack on press freedom', PUCL state president Arvind Narrain said that the government was trying to harm independent media to distract people from learning about civic movements and the failure of government machinery.

Amidst seeking accountability from the Delhi police and the government, the protestors demanded that the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) be revoked and all prisoners arrested under the act be released.

Vinay Sreenivasa, activist, Bahutva Karnataka, said, "It is condemnable that no copies of the FIR were produced before the accused. This is a breakdown of the rule of law. If we let this go, this can happen to any of us tomorrow. We need to condemn UAPA itself."

Speakers such as G Ramakrishna and Anand Sahai stressed upon the country's falling rank on the World Press Freedom Index and urged people to condemn the government's  "unconstitutional" actions.