5 months ago
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The Congress connected Tuesday (January 20, 2026) expressed interest implicit reports of journalists from nationalist newspapers being summoned and questioned for what it described arsenic “routine reporting” successful Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), saying specified actions undermined antiauthoritarian functioning and property freedom.
In a connection posted connected X, AICC in-charge for Jammu and Kashmir, Syed Naseer Hussain, said a antiauthoritarian nine could not relation if “the basal enactment of asking questions is treated arsenic an enactment of defiance”.
He said journalists successful the portion had, for years, worked nether conditions that tested some nonrecreational integrity and idiosyncratic security. Referring to repeated summons, restrictions and administrative pressure, Mr. Hussain said these had go portion of the situation successful which Kashmiri journalists were expected to discharge their law role.
The Congress, helium said, shared the “deep anguish” of the radical of J&K and of journalists and the escaped media successful the region, who continued to carnivore the consequences of specified a “climate”.
Mr. Hussain said autarkic journalism should not beryllium viewed arsenic an adversary of the State, but arsenic an indispensable spouse successful ensuring accountability, transparency, and informed nationalist debate. Replacing this narration with suspicion and coercion narrowed the abstraction for antiauthoritarian engagement, helium added.
He besides called upon the bureau of the Lieutenant Governor, which functions nether the authorization of the Union Government, to guarantee that governance successful Jammu and Kashmir was exercised done “transparent, consultative, and lawful means”, reflecting Constitutional restraint and antiauthoritarian accountability alternatively than a “command-and-control” approach.
“The spot of our ideology is measured by however confidently it allows its institutions to beryllium examined, not by however tightly it seeks to negociate the narrative,” Mr. Hussain said.
The Congress urged the Central Government to contented wide guidelines preventing the summoning oregon questioning of journalists for lawful reporting, refrain from actions that constrain state of code and expression, and guarantee that journalists and media institutions are not subjected to intimidation oregon undue pressure. It besides called for an autarkic and transparent mechanics to reappraisal complaints related to misuse of authorization oregon violations of property freedom.
