Senior CPI-M leader MY Tarigami on Tuesday said the decision of administration to seal the Srinagar office of Kashmir Times newspapers, without any justification was a brazen attempt to muzzle freedom of press.
“The sealing of Kashmir Times office is nothing but vendetta politics and an attempt to suppress the dissenting voices in the region. It seems the administration is targeting Kashmir Times for being critical to the government’s policies since last year,” said Tarigami, in a statement.
He said media was the fourth pillar of democracy. “Overtly and covertly media persons have been pressurized in Kashmir for long, but since August 5 last year, attempts to muzzle the freedom of press by the authorities have been on rise,” he said.
Tarigami said the media was being bullied and harassed to prevent them from performing their legitimate professional duties. He said challenges and hardships for journalists have multiplied since last August.