NEW DELHI — The Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) on Thursday strongly condemned the Uttar Pradesh Police for invoking provisions of the National Security Act (NSA) against senior journalist and Mazdoor Bigul editor Satyam Verma, terming the move part of a growing pattern of attacks on independent journalism in the state.
In a statement, the DUJ said Verma had consistently reported on the plight of workers in Noida and other parts of the country, and described the use of the stringent NSA against him as “yet another example of an attack on independent journalists.”
The union accused the government led by Yogi Adityanath of repeatedly curbing press freedom and targeting journalists through what it called “draconian laws.” It cited earlier instances, including the arrest of journalist Siddique Kappan, to underline what it described as a continuing pattern of intimidation of the media.
“Journalism is not a crime, and our Constitution guarantees freedom of expression,” the DUJ said, urging the Uttar Pradesh government to immediately withdraw the NSA charges and ensure Verma’s release.
The union also condemned the invocation of the NSA against activist Akriti Chowdhury in connection with the Noida protests, alleging a broader misuse of the law to silence activists and dissenting voices.
Referring to past observations of the Allahabad High Court, the DUJ noted that the court had previously flagged repeated misuse of the NSA by the Uttar Pradesh Police to detain citizens. “This practice must stop,” the statement said.
The statement was jointly issued by DUJ President Sujata Madhok, Vice President S.K. Pande, and General Secretary A.M. Jigeesh.
