Media Bodies Condemn Uttarakhand Government’s Legal Notice To Journalist

New Delhi: The Press Association and the Press Club of India on Saturday condemned the Uttarakhand government for issuing legal notice to an independent journalist for his reportage on land deals in the hill state. Independent journalist Ajit Rathi has been served a legal notice by the State Infrastructure and Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand Limited (SIDCUL) for his reports on leasing of land earmarked for an IT Park to private parties.

The Press Association, an organization representing journalists accredited by the central government, described the publication of the statement as an attack on press freedom.

The Press Club of India said such actions by the Uttarakhand government are motivated by authoritarian tendencies aimed at suppressing democratic discourse and preventing journalists from fulfilling their duty to report the facts.