Shillong, Nov 2: The Shillong Press Club (SPC) and journalist fraternity in Meghalaya has strongly condemned the Arunachal Pradesh Police for including senior journalist and Deputy Editor of The Arunachal Times, Tongam Rina, in its request for search warrants in connection with the October 23 violence in Pasighat.
In a letter of condemnation, the SPC said it was “shocked and appalled” by the move and termed it an attempt to intimidate, harass and criminalise journalists reporting on the ongoing protests against the Siang dam project.
“Probing violence and destruction of property cannot and must not become a convenient excuse for intimidation of journalists who are covering a people’s movement,” the club said.
It stated that inclusion of Rina’s name without any justification or link to the violence “is not investigation – it is intimidation” and a direct attack on press freedom.
“Such action has a chilling effect on free press and seeks to silence independent reporting,” it said.
The SPC demanded immediate withdrawal of her name from the warrant list and an assurance that press freedom will not be trampled upon.
