NEW DELHI: The Centre on Tuesday told the Lok Sabha that it does not maintain specific data with respect to arrests of journalists, since it falls under the purview of the state governments, in reply to a written question.
In reply to another question on whether it is a fact that India ranked in the bottom 30 worst nations out of 180 as maintained by the media watchdog in the World Press Freedom Index, if so the reasons for it and whether the government has made any analysis of the reasons due to which press freedom is on the decline and measures taken to restore it if was found to be on the decline, I&B minister Anurag
Thakur
said, “The World Press Freedom Index is published by a foreign non-government organization, “Reporters Without Borders”.
The government does not subscribe to its views and country rankings and does not agree to the conclusions drawn by this organisation for various reasons including very low sample size, little or no weightage to fundamentals of democracy, adoption of a methodology which is questionable and non-transparent, etc.” The questions were asked by TMC MP Mala Roy, DMK members
A Raja
and A Ganeshamurthy.
Replying to questions on attacks on journalist by TMC MP Mala Roy, minister of state for home affairs
Nityananad Rai
said: “Police and public order are state subjects… state governments are responsible for prevention, investigation of crimes and for prosecuting criminals…The National Crime Records Bureau does not maintain specific data with respect to arrest of journalists.”
On the Press Freedom Index, Thakur told Lok Sabha in a written reply that, to uphold freedom of press “the government does not interfere in the functioning of the press. Press Council of India (PCI), has been set up under the Press Council Act, 1978, to preserve the freedom of Press… PCI considers complaints filed ‘by the Press’ concerning curtailment of press freedom, physical assault/attack on journalists etc. under Section 13 of the Press Council Act 1978 and processed under the provisions of Press Council (Procedure for Inquiry) Regulations, 1979. PCI is also empowered to take suo-motu cognizance in matters on the pressing issues concerning freedom of Press and safeguarding of its high standards. Central Government attaches highest importance to the safety and security of all residents of the country including journalists.”
