Shimla: Ravindra Singh Dogra, the Himachal Pradesh president of the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has strongly objected to the FIR lodged against The Newz Radar by the Congress-led state government.
Dogra criticised the move, stating that it “undermined the freedom of the press, a key pillar of democracy”.
Expressing his concerns, Dogra pointed out that various media groups across the country express their opinions on political, social, legal and other matters. “Many times, political leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and several chief ministers, are scrutinised through public forums and newspapers. This is protected under the right to freedom of expression and should not be treated as a crime,” he added.
Also Read: https://thenewzradar.com/press-club-of-india-slams-himachal-govt-for-fir-against-journalist-asks-cm-sukhu-to-revoke-it/
Dogra questioned the rationale behind Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu allowing the FIR as The Newz Radar had not made any personal attacks or defamatory remarks. “The media outlet merely linked the Congress’ decisions in Himachal to the party’s defeat in Haryana, a political analysis rather than slander,” he said.
The NCP leader believes the “FIR suggests that The Newz Radar’s assessment hit the mark, which should have prompted introspection by the government instead of legal action”. He also raised a critical point, asking if the state government plans to take similar action against ABP News as journalist Sandeep Chaudhary made similar statements on a national television programme.
In a final appeal to the Chief Minister, Dogra urged the government to revoke the FIR, stating that this would restore its credibility and send a message that the Sukhu government supports free and impartial journalism rather than suppressing it.
