New Delhi: The Wire has written to Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor (LG) Manoj Sinha objecting to his accusation that its Jammu and Kashmir correspondent Jehangir Ali is part of some so-called “separatist ecosystem”.
Ali had reported IAS officer Ashok Kumar Parmar’s allegations that the J&K administration under Sinha rejected the advice of the finance and law departments on the Pradhan Mantri-Jan Arogya Yojna insurance scheme to amend a multi-crore contract midway to favour a private insurance company. He also filed a follow-up report which said that despite the J&K administration’s denial of the IAS officer’s claims, several questions about the insurance scheme remain.
At a public event in Jammu on October 14, as reported by the Daily Excelsior, Sinha “referred to a news item pertaining to AB-PMJAY Sehat Scheme and said writer of the article was himself an active part of separatist ecosystem.”
In the letter, The Wire‘s founding editor Siddharth Varadarajan says the “baseless accusation” coming from the LG’s high office could have perilous consequences “for the journalist you are targeting and also for the media more broadly”.
“Among other things, it suggests a willingness on the part of your administration to interfere with freedom of expression and freedom of the press. A journalist has and exercises these rights not only in his or her personal capacity, but also because citizens at large have the right to information and a range of news and views,” the letter says.
The Wire requested Sinha to withdraw the accusation against Jehangir Ali and refrain from making such “unfounded allegations against bona fide members of the media, which is a crucial pillar of democracy”.
Read the full letter below.
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15.10.2023
To,
The Hon’ble Lt. Governor Sinha,
Raj Bhavan
Jammu and Kashmir
Dear Lt Governor Sinha
Subject: Your remarks as reported in Daily Excelsior on October 14, 2023
I am writing to you as the Founding Editor of The Wire to protest your unwarranted and unacceptable description of the “writer” of a news article on the Pradhan Mantri-Jan Arogya Yojna insurance scheme in Jammu and Kashmir as an active part of the “separatist ecosystem”.
We have also cross-checked what the Daily Excelsior quoted you as saying against a video recording of your remarks.
The news article in question was published in The Wire and the writer concerned, Jehangir Ali, has been a correspondent of The Wire for several years now, filing regular reports from Jammu and Kashmir.
There is nothing Jehangir Ali has ever written for The Wire or elsewhere that justifies the accusation levelled by you. And one would be hard put to find anything that he has ever done, to justify it either.
A baseless accusation coming from the high office that you hold has perilous consequences for the journalist you are targeting and also for the media more broadly. Among other things, it suggests a willingness on the part of your administration to interfere with freedom of expression and freedom of the press. A journalist has and exercises these rights not only in his or her personal capacity, but also because citizens at large have the right to information and a range of news and views. As you might be aware, this position has been recognised as a basic constitutional principle.
The news report in question is a discussion on policy and lies fully within the realm of legitimate expression. Of course, the government has the right to differ or issue a factual rejoinder if it wishes. Needless to say, The Wire would be happy to publish the same should you care to formally issue one.
It should, however, be obvious that criticism of government policy is a far cry from separatism. Equally, that publicly branding a journalist whose news report the government disapproves of as ‘separatist’ is a far cry from your right to issue a formal rejoinder.
We request you to withdraw your accusation against Jehangir Ali and refrain from making such unfounded allegations against bona fide members of the media, which is a crucial pillar of democracy.
Yours sincerely,
Siddharth Varadarajan
Founding Editor
The Wire