Police Raid at Reporter Channel Office: DYFI Says Action Is Similar to Media Crackdown During Emergency Era

Thiruvananthapuram: The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) has condemned the police raid at Reporter TV's office and the seizure of employees' phones, calling the action anti-democratic and similar to the media crackdown during the Emergency period.

The police team arrived at Reporter TV's main office in Kochi early Wednesday to conduct a search in connection with a case. Instead of going to the administrative section, the officers entered the news desk, where news is handled, and allegedly intimidated employees. The police also seized the mobile phones of journalists who were preparing for live news broadcasts.

DYFI alleged that the police were targeting the news desk because the channel had been carrying reports critical of the government. It said the incident created a situation similar to the media crackdown during the Emergency.

The organisation said there were reasons to suspect that the police action was carried out at the direction of the Chief Minister and Home Minister. It also alleged that the V D Satheesan government was using the police to target media organisations in a manner similar to what it described as the Narendra Modi government's treatment of the media.

According to DYFI, the situation was moving towards one where media organisations would be targeted if they did not praise the government or comply with its wishes.

The organisation described the police action as illegal and anti-democratic and as a challenge to press freedom. It said there was no precedent in Keralam, or even in India, for police entering the news desk of a media organisation under the pretext of a raid and disrupting news broadcasting.

DYFI alleged that the V D Satheesan government was attempting to use the police to suppress reports critical of it. The organisation expressed strong protest against the police action at Reporter TV's news desk.