DUJ Expresses “Shock” over “Misuse” of SC/ST Act to Target Scroll.in Journalist

The Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) has expressed its “shock” after the Uttar Pradesh Police registered an FIR against Supriya Sharma, the Executive Editor of news website Scroll.in, on June 13.

In a statement issued on Friday, the DUJ condemned “the use of FIRs to intimidate journalists valiantly doing their job during the current pandemic and economic crisis.” “We expect governments to respond to such reports and critiques by taking measures to alleviate distress among the people, instead of shooting the messenger,” the statement added.

Sharma has been charged under sections related to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. She has also been charged under Sections 501 and 269 of the Indian Penal Code. While the former pertains to “printing or engraving matter known to be defamatory”, the latter is concerned with a “negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life.”

The FIR came about after Sharma reported on the impact of the COVID-19 induced lockdown on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency of Varanasi. A woman by the name of Mala Devi, who was quoted by Sharma, alleged in the FIR that her identity was misrepresented, her comments misconstrued and that Sharma had made “fun of my poverty and caste”.Mala is a resident of Domari village in Varanasi constituency, which was adopted by Modi under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana.

Scroll.in stood by the report and issued a statement on Thursday. “Scroll.in stands by the article, which has been reported from the Prime Minister’s constituency. This FIR is an attempt to intimidate and silence independent journalism, reporting on conditions of vulnerable groups during the Covid-19 lockdown,” the statement said.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, General Secretary of the Indian National Congress, tweeted about the incident, calling the FIR “shameful.” "The UP government cannot hide the truth by filing an FIR. By showing the truth, there is a possibility of corrective measures. But the UP government is filing FIRs against journalists, retired officials and opposition leaders for bringing out the truth,” she said.

In its statement, the DUJ said that it was “regrettable” that the state chose to “misuse” the SC/ST Act against the journalist. “We note with dismay the growing tendency to victimise journalists for speaking truth to power. The Rights and Risks Analysis group has compiled a report pointing out that between March 25 to May 31, 2020 as many as 55 journalists have been targeted in various states, slapped with police cases, harassed, assaulted and threatened for daring to report on the fallout of the Covid lockdown. We deplore all such attacks on media freedom and democracy (sic),” the statement said.