Kozhikode: A criminal case filed by a CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member against a senior television journalist in Kerala has left the state’s ruling party on the defensive as the party is largely seen at the national level as an advocate of free speech and media freedom.
The case against Vinu V. John, a senior journalist and prime time news anchor at Asianet News, was filed following a complaint by Elamaram Kareem, a Rajya Sabha member from the CPI(M) and a secretary of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU).
Kareem filed the complaint against John after the latter allegedly used harsh words to criticise Kareem’s speech where the MP made remarks supportive of the use of force by political activists during strikes.
Journalist Vinu V. John. Photo: Public domain
In the police complaint, which John came to know about only recently, Kareem said the news anchor “threatened” and “humiliated” him, and incited violence against him and his family during the primetime debate that John anchored on Asianet News on March 28. The FIR was filed on April 28 at the Cantonment police station in Thiruvananthapuram.
John has been booked under Sections 107, 116, 504 and 506 of Indian Penal Code. These sections deal with “abetment of offence”, “intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace” and “criminal intimidation”, among other offences.
MP Kareem declined to comment about the FIR against John, when The Wire contacted him over phone.
The news debate in question
Vinu V. John is an associate editor and a leading news reader at Asianet News. One of John’s primetime shows, which was aired between 8 and 9 pm on March 28, discussed the day’s Bharat Bandh that had been jointly announced by various trade unions as a protest against “anti-worker, anti-farmer, anti-people and anti-national policies” of the Narendra Modi-led Central government.
Rajya Sabha member Elamaram Kareem. Photo: Twitter @ElamaramKareem_
During the news show, John criticised Elamaram Kareem’s indirect justification of the violence unleashed on some civilians by the protestors on that day.
“See, Elamara Kareem’s vehicle should have been attacked and broken. And the passengers in it – if there is his family in it, then they too – should be brought out of the vehicle. His vehicle’s tyre should have been punctured. Like how Yasir was treated, Kareem should have been slapped on his face and let blood comes from his nose. Then he will understand whether it was scratching, pinching or humiliating,” John said on air.
John’s aggressive remarks during the show came while criticising Kareem, also a senior trade unionist, for a speech he delivered, in which he indirectly justified the violence during the strike.
By Yasir, John was referring to an auto rickshaw driver in Malappuram, who was allegedly brutally assaulted by pro-Bandh activists as he was transporting a patient to hospital.
In his speech earlier on the same day, Kareem said, “Is this a lightning strike announced suddenly? This is a strike announced two months ago… How many media did come forward to bring this message of the workers to the public? Now, they report protestors blocked some auto rickshaw. Someone scratched someone else. Someone pinched someone else. These are the ‘complaints’ in news…”
Criticising Kareem’s apparent justification for the assault on the driver Yasir, John also said that “[the politicians] would understand the seriousness of physical violence only when they feel the pain”.
FIR unacceptable: journalists union
Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ), the state’s largest body representing the journalists, said the FIR against John is “unacceptable”.
K.P. Reji, the union’s president, in a Facebook post, said the FIR against John is the latest example of how journalists are targeted in the country. “Everyone who believes in democracy, freedom of expression and civil rights should build resistance [for John and other journalists targeted],” he said. Speaking to The Wire, Reji said John was only doing his job as a journalist. “He had already faced threats and protest demonstrations because of the programme. The latest case is unacceptable,” he said. “John is the latest victim of the attacks on press freedom.”
Reji said the KUWJ would consider how it could involve in the incident to support John. He also said though the journalists routinely face criticism and cyber attacks, the involvement of the state and the police “increases the seriousness” of John’s experience.
‘I fully stand by what I said, FIR filed because of political pressure’
John said he stands by what he said during the television debate. “Yes, 100%,” John said. “No one has the right to obstruct the public during a protest. I was discussing the experience of two auto drivers [who were targeted by the pro-bandh activists],” John told The Wire.
According to John, he came to know about the FIR recently. After he applied to renew his passport, he got a message from the local passport office suggesting that there was an FIR pending against him. John said he confirmed the existence of the FIR after calling the police sources he knew. John also said his sources in the police told him that the case had been filed because of “political pressure”.
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Following the controversial news programme in March, John and Asianet News faced protests by both the Left activists and trade unionists. Back then, MP Kareem had also said he would approach the police against John.
A police officer posted at the Cantonment police station in Thiruvananthapuram, where the case against John was filed in April, told The Wire the police “are probing” the case. He said the police did not yet make any attempt to question anyone in the case. “There is no immediate possibility of arrest,” he said. “We are still investigating,” said the officer, who declined to be named.
Ruling CPI (M)’s recent record on dissent
The CPI(M) would find it hard to justify the police complaint that its senior leader filed against a journalist, as the party consistently raise its voice for civil liberties and freedom of speech at the national level.
Earlier, the party’s State Secretariat had issued a statement calling the John’s remarks as “extremely repulsive”. “Free media is integral part of a democratic society of which, talks of democratic nature is the hallmark. Exchanges conducted with mutual respect strengthen a democratic society and helps it. However, Asianet News presenter Vinu V. John has crossed all lines,” said the statement.
However, the party’s recent record as the ruling party in the state is not really promising either.
Recently, officials with the state Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) seized a bus run by IndiGo Airlines citing non-payment of tax dues. However, the move was criticised by many because the seizure came soon after E.P. Jayarajan, a senior CPI (M) leader and a close aide of the chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, criticised the Airlines for imposing a three-weeks travel ban on him for his inappropriate behaviour on a flight. The ban on Jayarajan came along with a similar two-weeks ban on a couple of Indian Youth Congress (IYC) activists.
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The travel ban came after Jayarajan allegedly manhandled the IYC activists as they attempted to hold a protest on the flight against Pinarayi Vijayan, who was also on the same aircraft.
In connection with the flight incident, the state government also faced criticism after the police arrested K.S. Sabarinathan, vice president of the state unit of IYC and an MLA, accusing him of being the mastermind behind the protest on air. However, the young Opposition lawmaker quickly secured bail. Following his arrest, the Congress accused the state government of “acting with vengeance”. Besides, a court also ordered to book Jayarajan for his behaviour on the aircraft.
The state government and the chief minister Vijayan also faced criticism after the officials imposed an undeclared ban on black masks and attires at the events attended by Vijayan, as a measure to avoid protests against him in the light of latest revelations against him by an accused in the infamous gold smuggling case. Later, the chief minister said there was no direction given to impose such a ban.
The ruling party also found itself in trouble after members of its student wing, SFI, vandalised Rahul Gandhi’s MP office in Wayanad. The SFI later dissolved the entire district committee after criticism from various corners, including from within the CPI (M).
Politics of Asianet News
Both Asianet News and journalist Vinu V. John are also not free from controversies and criticism.
Asianet News, though one of the oldest and mainstream news channels in the state, is now being viewed by many as a channel tilting in favour of the Centre over the last few years, particularly because of its management’s proximity with the BJP leadership.
The channel is now run by Jupiter Capital, owned by Union minister and BJP leader Rajeev Chandrashekar. Senior journalist John is also known for what many believe harsh and sometimes abusive words he uses against individuals, mostly politicians. For his controversial remarks during the news shows, John has rendered apologies at least twice in the past.
Muhammed Sabith is a journalist and researcher. He can be reached at sabith.muhemmad@gmail.com