Guild urges MeitY to revoke ban, raises concerns over press freedom and due process violations
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — The Editors Guild of India has expressed strong outrage over the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) blocking the Tamil magazine web portal Vikatan.com without following proper procedures. The action reportedly stemmed from a complaint regarding a cartoon of the Prime Minister.
In a statement, the Guild described the move as “a blatant encroachment by the authorities” and criticised the sudden blocking of the entire web portal. According to the statement, the action was taken after a complaint was lodged with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) by a state head of a political party. The Ananda Vikatan group, which runs the portal, was not given prior notice or a fair hearing.
The Guild highlighted serious irregularities in the process. “It is shocking that after blocking the website, the publishers were summoned for a hearing by an inter-departmental committee constituted under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (IT Rules 2021). In fact, punitive action was taken first and the process was initiated later,” the statement said.
The Editors Guild also pointed out that the Bombay High Court has already stayed Rule 9(1) and (3) of the IT Rules 2021, which limits the powers of the inter-departmental committee to investigate complaints against publishers. The Guild argued that blocking the website reflects a “repressive attitude” and undermines media freedom in India.
The statement further raised alarm over the online harassment faced by the cartoonist. “The Guild is deeply concerned about the trolling and death threats being made on social media against the cartoonist,” it said.
Calling for the immediate withdrawal of the blocking order, the Guild urged MeitY to uphold the principles of free expression. “Such actions are detrimental to India’s democratic values, fairness and transparency,” the statement concluded.
