PCI condemns attack on office of Assamese newspaper Asomiya Pratidin

The Press Club of India (PCI) has strongly condemned the attack on the office of Assam's leading newspaper, Asomiya Pratidin, calling it a direct assault on press freedom. In a statement, the PCI said the newspaper's office in Lakhimpur was vandalized by unidentified individuals on the night of April 10. The incident occurred just hours after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma made public comments against the Pratidin media group and the Assamese news channel DY365.

The Press Club described the entire incident as extremely worrying, stating that the space for journalism in the northeastern state is steadily shrinking. Such incidents, especially during the recently concluded assembly elections, raise questions about the democratic system.

According to the PCI, in addition to the April 10 attack, hundreds of copies of the Assamese daily were also burned in Upper Assam around the time of polling on April 9. This is being seen as an attempt to intimidate and suppress the press.

The statement also noted that during the election campaign, the Chief Minister repeatedly verbally attacked journalists for asking questions. The PCI reminded that in a democracy, the media's role is to ask questions, and that a person holding a constitutional position like the Chief Minister must be accountable to the public.

The PCI has demanded that the state government conduct a fair and prompt investigation into these attacks and that the perpetrators be identified and punished as soon as possible.

Additionally, the Press Club expressed concern over increasing censorship in many parts of the country and the blocking of media accounts on digital platforms. The organization also criticized the recent suspension of social media influencer Afzal Bin Sohail's Facebook pages, including 'Left TV.'

The PCI stated that in a democracy, dissenting from the government is not a crime and that such actions are against democratic values. The Press Club concluded that freedom of the press and freedom of expression must be protected at all costs in the world's largest democracy.