NEW DELHI: The Indian Women's Press Corps (IWPC) on Wednesday expressed concern over the lodging of an FIR against senior journalist Navika Kumar in Maharashtra, saying she has been booked for "objectionable" statements made not by her but a guest in her TV show.
In a statement, the journalist body noted with concern a rise in FIRs against journalists and said indiscriminate use of government power to criminalise journalistic activity posed "a serious danger to press freedom".
If journalists are expected to be judicious while exercising their freedom on account of the exceptional influence on public opinion, the imperative on the central and state governments as well as their agencies to be judicious in exercising their tremendous power against journalists "is even greater," the IWPC said.
A Maharashtra Police official said on Tuesday that TV journalist Kumar has been named in an FIR registered in Parbhani district against now-suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, who had allegedly made objectionable remarks against Prophet Mohammad during a news debate hosted by Kumar.
The First Information Report was registered at Nanalpeth police station on a complaint filed on Monday by a Muslim cleric who accused Sharma and Kumar of intending to outrage religious feelings, the official said.
"Times Now anchor Navika Kumar and Nupur Sharma are booked under section 295-A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)," the police official said, adding investigation of the case was underway.
"The Indian Women's Press Corps expresses concern at the spate of the FIRs against journalists with the latest being Navika Kumar for objectionable statements made not by her but someone else in a television debate she was anchoring," the journalist body said in its statement.
While there can be no question that the Constitution and constitutional values have to be upheld rather than undermined while exercising the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression, indiscriminate use of government power to criminalise journalistic activity also poses a serious danger to press freedom, which is an essential element of the freedom of expression, the IWPC added.