Police Action at Reporter TV Office an Attack on Media Freedom, Says M A Baby

Thiruvananthapuram: CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby has described the police action at the Reporter TV office as an attack on media freedom. Baby said the action by a group of police officers at the media organisation's office was an unprecedented act. He alleged that the police created an atmosphere of fear and forced the channel to suspend its broadcast for nearly an hour. The phones of journalists were also seized, he said. He recalled that the media had been silenced after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared the Emergency. However, he said he had not heard of police entering media organisations, creating a climate of fear or carrying out such acts of intimidation during that period. He also referred to the earlier suspension of MediaOne's broadcast by the Narendra Modi government, saying everyone had stood united against that action. "Media freedom is an integral part of democratic freedom in a society," M A Baby said. He alleged that the V D Satheesan government had attacked and threatened this fundamental freedom through its actions.