Editors Guild Urges J&K Police to Stop Curtailing Free Speech
Journalists from national media have faced multiple summons to the Cyber Crime Station in Srinagar, where they were pressured to sign affidavits restricting their reporting.
By : PTI
Update: 2026-01-21 15:04 GMT
New Delhi: The Editors Guild of India (EGI) on Wednesday voiced concern over the Jammu and Kashmir Police summoning several journalists for questioning for "routine news reports" filed by them and asked them to desist from such action.
Arbitrary summons and police questioning of journalists, and bids to obtain affidavits under duress are tantamount to coercion and intimidation of the media in pursuit of its legitimate duties, the Guild said in a statement here.
"The Guild calls on the police and other authorities to desist from such actions, which restrict free speech and prevent the media from carrying out its core functions," it said.
Reports had it that journalists from several national media organisations were repeatedly summoned to Srinagar's Cyber Crime Station and also pressured to sign bonds or affidavits to the effect that they would not undertake any activity to "disturb the peace".
"While the police authorities are yet to clarify the reasons for such an action, the Guild reiterates that there can be no space for such arbitrary actions in a democracy, of which the media is a key pillar," the statement said.
The Guild said the police action was the latest instance of increasingly threatening, intimidatory and coercive actions taken against professional journalists.