THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Dismissing allegations of attempts to curtail media freedom, the state government on Wednesday categorically stated that no such move has been made. In a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan termed the accusations baseless.
The statement clarified that the government has ordered an inquiry into the leak of a highly confidential letter concerning the World Bank’s fund allocation for the ‘Kera’ project. According to the CMO, such leaks could damage the government’s credibility with financial institutions, making it essential to understand the circumstances for the sake of smooth administration.
The government emphasised that the inquiry is not directed at journalists, labelling such claims as part of a fake news campaign. It stated that investigating lapses in official duties is a routine administrative process, and it is incorrect to suggest that journalists will be summoned or evidence collected from them as part of the probe.
The CMO also accused a section of the media of continuing to spread false news and propaganda against the government, even after such reports have been disproved with evidence. However, the statement reiterated that it is not the government’s policy to suppress or take legal action against every critical report. Kerala’s high media literacy, it noted, ensures that misleading narratives do not easily influence public opinion.
While acknowledging that challenges to press freedom exist nationally, the state government affirmed its commitment to upholding media rights in Kerala in every sense. Simultaneously, it warned that it would not tolerate deliberate efforts to mislead the public, defame the government, or erode institutional trust through the dissemination of distorted information.
“It is unfortunate that Kerala is being equated with places where press freedom is genuinely under threat, based on an incident that never occurred,” the statement said, reaffirming that no move against press freedom will be permitted in the state.