New Delhi: The International Press Institute (IPI) has called on the Narendra Modi government to prioritise freedom of the press and the safety of journalists.
According to a statement issued by IPI, press freedom has “deteriorated dramatically” under the first two terms of Prime Minister Modi.
Reproduced below is the full statement.
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International Press Institute (IPI) global network noted that press freedom has deteriorated dramatically under the first two terms of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumes his third term, the IPI global network calls on his administration to honour commitments to ruling with “true faith and allegiance to the constitution” by prioritising freedom of the press and the safety of journalists.
Article 19(1)(a) of the Indian constitution guarantees the right “to freedom of speech and expression”, which can only be restricted to a “reasonable” extent on narrow grounds. Freedom of the press is an especially vital category of protected speech; independent and pluralistic news is essential to the function of democracy. A free and independent press enables citizens to be informed and to hold the powerful to account.
Today, IPI reiterates its call on the Modi government to take concrete steps to protect these rights, noting that press freedom has deteriorated dramatically under the prime minister’s previous terms.
This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here.
