Draconian laws, including laws on sedition and UAPA (Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, have been increasingly used against media persons to silence them, eminent journalist Siddharth Varadarajan has said.
Addressing the panel session on ‘Wither Indian Journalism’ at the International Literature Festival of Kerala (ILFK) here on Friday, Mr. Varadarajan said UAPA has been slapped against 100-odd journalists, including Malayalee journalist Siddiq Kappan, in the last four years.
“State machinery is always ready to suppress the freedom of expression. Journalists have been increasingly booked for the stories they field. They face action for criticising the governments or for reporting communal violence. Even though those who instigate communal violence go free, the journalist who cover it may get booked, ” he said . The government is also using spywares against journalists, he added.
