Srinagar: CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami on Wednesday expressed concern over alleged restrictions on several established media organisations in Kashmir after their social media pages were reportedly taken down.
Referring to reports that certain pages of the news outlets were taken down following coverage of protests in Jammu and Kashmir, Tarigami said it is the duty of media organisations to report the ground situation.
Many parts of Jammu and Kashmir have seen mass protests to condemn the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israel strikes against Iran.
“Credible and professionally run media outlets play an important role in disseminating verified information, particularly during sensitive situations. If there were objections to any particular report, the authorities could have sought clarification or invoked lawful remedies,” Tarigami said in a statement.
Curtailing the platforms of established media outlets is neither a constructive approach nor in keeping with democratic practice,” he said.
The MLA from Kulgam termed the development unfortunate and urged the government to restore the pages at the earliest, asserting that freedom of the press is protected under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech and expression.
Restricting established news platforms does not necessarily curb misinformation and may instead create space for unverified sources to circulate misleading content, he said.
The CPI(M) leader also expressed concern over the registration of FIRs against Lok Sabha MP Ruhullah Mehdi and others. He urged the authorities to ensure that dissenting voices are not curtailed and that lawful and peaceful expression is respected in line with constitutional guarantees.
National Conference MP Ruhullah Mehdi and former Srinagar Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu were booked on Tuesday for allegedly circulating misleading content on social media platforms.
Srinagar Police has registered cases against Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi and Junaid Azim Mattu for allegedly circulating “false, fabricated and misleading content across digital and social media platforms with the intent to create fear, disturb public order and incite unlawful activities,” officials said.