A formal complaint has been lodged with the Guwahati Police against several renowned journalists including Satya Pal Malik, previously governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Indian media professional Ashutosh Bharadwaj, and Najam Sethi, a notable figure from Pakistani media. The complaint also refers to ‘unknown individuals’.
According to the complaint filed on May 9, it is alleged that following the Pahalgam terrorist incident and ‘Operation Sindoor’, multiple articles and commentaries were circulated that seemingly infringe on India’s national integrity and security, incite hostility and social chaos, and disseminate false information.
The complainant, in his allegations, pointed out that the involvement of Najam Sethi of Pakistan introduces an external aspect that poses the risk of depicting India’s constitutional democracy as suppressing. It may potentially provide intellectual endorsement to narratives propagated by unfriendly regimes.
The complainant suggests that it’s not just about disagreement when such interviews, with a broad domestic and global reach, are lined up in the direct aftermath of a terrorist event. His concern is that they become potential tools for disinformation, sedition, and a threat to national stability, hiding behind the guise of journalism.
The complaint further mentions that consecutive interviews were conducted where ‘serious and objectionable comments have been made against the Indian Government, particularly in the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist incident’. These discussions go beyond the boundary of journalistic inquiry and seem to provide a groundwork for unchecked, inflammatory, and politically intense statements.
These statements, as per the complainant, whether directly or indirectly, accuse the Indian state of acts of terrorism perpetrated by cross-border elements. It appears quite disturbing that these discussions are repeatedly used to insinuate involvement, negligence, or even planning by Indian authorities.
The individual lodging the complaint asserts that such implications serve as weapon in favor of enemy propaganda and provoke mistrust among the general populace. He lists certain articles that depict the Indian state as ‘completely ineffective’ while glorifying the Pakistani terrorists as ‘more insightful than us’. He argues that this content imprudently undermines public faith in national security entities and demoralizes our military forces.
The complainant refers to a piece that disparages the constitutional role of the Prime Minister and slanders the response strategies designed by the Indian state against terror, thereby dampening public trust in the government’s power to safeguard its citizens.
A view has been mirrored in the content that holds the Pahalgam terrorist attack as a failure of India’s sovereign policies, shifting the blame away from Pakistan-funded terrorism to domestic rule. This perception dangerously distorts the narrative and misrepresents the reality, according to the complainant.
The complainant contends that releasing five articles right after the Pahalgam terrorist event, systematically diluted the faith in India’s armed forces, challenged its sovereign responses, magnified unfriendly narratives, and subtly drew comparisons between counter-terrorism efforts with community-centric or electoral motives.
In times when national unity is of utmost importance, such publications can potentially compromise public trust, operational secrecy and even pose a risk of inciting unrest, jeopardizing lives and tarnishing India’s image in the international community, as per the complainant.
Freedom of expression, as per the complainant, should not be considered an excuse for damaging the sanctity of constitutional institutions during national crises. Such actuations might altogether fall under the definition of crimes against the state as per both penal and constitutional law doctrines.
The complainant also posits that the freedom of speech does not give carte blanche for intellectually justifying enemy aims or undertaking activities that destabilize the nation, especially in times of crisis.
The final piece of allegation from the complainant is that such propagation should not be justified as journalism serving public interest. It is rather a structured narrative rooted with the intention of disrupting India’s unity, fanning communal imbalance, and diminishing trust in institutions during national emergencies.
The complainant argues that rigid constitutional scrutiny of such behaviors is necessary and, where deemed fit, enforcement of the penal structure should be invoked to preserve the sovereignty and wholeness of the Republic.
The post Formal Complaint Filed Against Journalists Post Pahalgam Terror Incident appeared first on Real News Now.
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