New Delhi
Press Council of India (PCI) has accepted Chief Minister Omar Abdullah"™s explanation in response to its suo-motu action related to incidents of 2010 that led to the newspapers in Kashmir suspending their publications after curfew passes of journalists and non-journalist staff were cancelled by the authorities.
PCI in its meeting held here Thursday placed the Chief Minister"™s letter before the members for acceptance. It had taken a suo-motu action immediately after the developments took place in the state during the summer agitation of 2010.
The Chief Minister in his response has stated that the government was"constrained" to impose restrictions and curfew in some parts of Kashmir Valley during the summer unrest of 2010, affecting publication of newspapers as well.
PCI chairman had written to Omar asking him to personally intervene in the matter so that the media was able to discharge its duties without any fear, hindrance or intimidation. At the same time it had also asked the state government to file a report in the matter.
PCI"™s action also received strength after its member S N Sinha and S K Pande, general secretary Delhi Union of Journalists had also demanded action on the issue.
Although all the relevant records of the case were placed by the Council officials before the committee but no order was passed for any further action as Chief Minister"™s statement was accepted, sources privy to the deliberations said.
Incidentally, Greater Kashmir had also suspended its publication as its staffers had also failed to reach the office as their curfew passes were withdrawn.
In his letter addressed to the then PCI chairman Justice G N Ray, the Chief Minister has said that the government was"constrained" to impose restrictions and curfew in some parts of Kashmir Valley. As a result, the media persons also had to face some difficulties initially. Subsequently, the government provided the curfew passes to media persons including hawkers and distributors to facilitate resumption of publication of newspapers.
Regarding the cases pertaining to some Jammu newspapers, Omar had explained that these publications had carried some"baseless and incorrect" stories about alleged desecration of a temple in South Kashmir."This news had the potential to hurt the religious sentiments of a section of the society which could eventually lead to communal flare up," he observed.
Later, the editors of these newspapers had met the authorities concerned."Taking cognizance of their assurance, no further action was taken against these newspapers," the letter further stated.