Congress accuses of Naveen govt of muzzling press freedom in Odisha
Congress accuses of Naveen govt of muzzling press freedom in Odisha
‘Odisha is now facing a kind of undeclared emergency’
By Sukanta Kumar Mohanty
BHUBANESWAR, SEPT. 20: Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) on Wednesday brought serious charges against the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) alleging that it was trying to muzzle the press freedom in the state.
The grand old party said journalists who are trying to bring out truth through their “fact-based reporting” on the “misrule,” “corruption” and “nepotism” of the state government for the greater interest of the public were being hounded and prosecuted.
Addressing a press conference here, OPCC president Sarat Pattanayak said many journalists and media houses in the state faced hostile behavior of the Naveen Patnaik administration in the recent as they highlighted how the state was ruled by the whims and fancies of a few bureaucrats.
“Odisha is now facing a kind of undeclared emergency. Journalists are being implicated on false charges and incarcerated as they dared to write truth about the failings and misgoverance of the Naveen Patnaik. Never before in the history of Odisha was a government so intolerant of criticism. Nor did we witness instances where media houses, like the present time, were threatened with dire consequences by use of state agencies like Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of the Crime Branch and Income Tax (IT) department with an obnoxious intention to shut their mouth,” said Pattanayak.
Stating that the Congress strongly condemned the highhandedness of the BJD government, the OPCC chief declared that his party would stand by the journalists and media houses who are implicated on false charges.
The OPCC took strong objection to denial of entry of media persons into Lok Seva Bhawan (State Secretariat) and the lobby of the State Assembly. “Such restrictions were not prevalent during the Congress regime here,” he added.
Calling the Naveen Patnaik’s administration as “dictatorial,” Mr Patnaik said the BJD must learn that any government trying to muzzle the press freedom has always faced its doom.
Senior Congress leader and former state finance minister Panchanan Kanugo said, “When the Constitution of India guarantees freedom of speech and expression as a fundamental right of citizens, it is being ruthlessly trampled upon by the ruling BJD in Odisha. This kind of misadventure is highly condemnable and the Congress will strong protest it.”
There was, however, no reaction available from the ruling BJD.
————-
Photograph: OPCC chief Sarat Pattanayak and senior Congress leader Panchanan Kanungo
