Indian journalists’ 2024 election concerns: political violence, trolling, device hacking
As the scorching summer peaks this year, India’s political landscape is coming to a boil. From April 19 until June 1, the world’s biggest democracy will hold the world’s biggest election, which the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been in power since 2014, is expected to win….
CPJ says Indian police raids on NewsClick office, journalists’ homes are an attack on press freedom
New Delhi, October 3, 2023— The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Indian authorities to immediately release NewsClick founder and editor Prabir Purkayastha and stop trying to intimidate journalists through tactics such as Tuesday’s police raids on the Delhi office of Indian news website NewsClick and the homes of at least 12 staff and journalists…
India blocks journalists’ tweets about violence against Muslims
Three Indian journalists, who spoke to CPJ, said that X, formerly Twitter, blocked their posts about violence against Muslims in response to opaque legal demands from the government in August. Since August 8, the X account of independent journalist Ahmed Khabeer has been blocked in India, he told CPJ by phone. Khabeer published the email…
Indian tax authorities ‘survey’ media funding organization IPSMF
On the afternoon of September 7, 2022, officials with India’s Income Tax Department conducted a “survey” of the Independent and Public-Spirited Media Foundation, a philanthropic organization that provides financial support to independent digital news outlets in the country, at the foundation’s office in Bengaluru, the capital of the southern state of Karnataka, according to multiple…
Indian police open terror investigation into 5 journalists
New Delhi, November 12, 2021 — Police in the Indian state of Tripura must immediately drop a terror investigation into journalists for their social media posts about anti-Muslim violence during the last week of October, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. In a complaint filed November 3, Tripura police claimed 102 social media accounts…
Indian finance authorities raid offices of Newslaundry and Newsclick websites
New Delhi, September 13, 2021 – Indian authorities must stop harassing employees of the news websites Newslaundry and Newsclick and let them work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. At about noon on September 10, officials from the national Income Tax Department raided the two outlets’ offices in New Delhi as part of an investigation…
Journalists harassed, obstructed while covering home demolitions in India
Washington, D.C., July 19, 2021 — Indian authorities should cease harassing and obstructing members of the press covering protests and demolitions in Khori Gaon, in Haryana state, and ensure that they can report freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On June 30, and then repeatedly in mid-July, police have threatened, harassed, and obstructed…
Indian authorities pursue multiple investigations into Newsclick
Washington, D.C., July 6, 2021 — Indian authorities must cease their legal harassment of the news website Newsclick and its editors, and refrain from investigating members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On June 30, officials from the national Income Tax Department visited the offices of Newsclick in New Delhi and…
Indian finance authorities raid Newsclick office, homes of editors and managers
New Delhi, February 10, 2021 — Indian authorities must immediately stop occupying the offices of the news website Newsclick and cease harassing its editors and managers, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Since yesterday morning, officers with the Indian Finance Ministry’s Enforcement Directorate have raided Newsclick’s New Delhi office, as well as the homes…
Jammu and Kashmir police question three journalists amid social media ban
New Delhi, February 19, 2020—Jammu and Kashmir police have summoned three journalists this month, including photojournalist Kamran Yousuf, who was questioned about social media activity, according to news reports and CPJ interviews. In January, after a lengthy communications shutdown in the region, the Indian government restored access to under 1500 “white-listed” websites, not including social…