New Delhi, 24 August 2020: The Indian Journalists Union expresses concern over the random shutdown of The Shillong Times, by the District authorities after declaring its office building as containment area and reported violations of COVID-19 protocol. 

Given that media is an ‘essential service’, the newspaper management should have been allowed to make requisite arrangements to come out with the edition by taking all precautions, the IJU said and demands the authorities in Shillong review their order.  

New Delhi, 19 August 2020: The Indian Journalists Union condemns the UP police action of again arresting journalist Prashant Kanojia following a complaint against his alleged tweet filed by a BJP leader in Lucknow. Demanding his immediate release, the IJU questioned the FIR lodged against Kanojia and whether there was rule of law in Yogi Adityanath’s State.

New Delhi, 13 August 2020: The Indian Journalists Union strongly condemns the mob attack on three journalists of The Caravan on 11 August in Northeast Delhi while they were reporting on a story concerning a Delhi violence complaint. Worse, the attack had communal overtones and the police at the Bhajanpura station refused to register FIRs against the complaints filed by the journalists. The IJU demands a thorough investigation and the culprits as identified be brought to book.

New Delhi, 6 August, 2020: The Indian Journalists Union (IJU) condemns the FIR registered by Sahranpur Police on the basis of a complaint from CMO, Uttar Pradesh against Sankalp Neb, a local journalist for sharing a screenshot of a Twitter posting in a WhatsApp group. The Twitter posting alleged that the reports of COVID-19 negative patients were being turned into positive under a conspiracy with the help of the private hospitals.

New Delhi, 23 July 2020: The Indian Journalists Union joins the International Federation of Journalists and its Gender Council’s call to media organisations and trade unions to make gender equality a priority in their response to the pandemic and demand concrete steps to provide their female colleagues with decent working conditions.

Guwahati, 16 July 2020: The Indian Journalists Union strongly condemns the arrest of Rajib Sarma, correspondent of DY365 TV channel from Dhubri, Assam at midnight by Dhubri police resulting in the sudden death of the journalist’s father under shock.

Rajib was picked up from his house at 2 am on Thursday by Dhubri police following an FIR filed by the Dhubri Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Biswajit Roy. In the FIR, the DFO alleged that on July 8, Rajib had demanded money from him and threatened that his TV channel will expose the many irregularities committed by the DFO.

New Delhi, 21 July 2020: The Indian Journalists Union (IJU) condemns the attack on two journalists in separate incidents-- Rajiv Nayan Bahuguna in Uttarakhand by thugs on July 20 and BBC correspondent Dilnawaz Pasha in Uttar Pradesh subjected to abuse and detained for six hours by the Bahjoi police.

16 July 2020: Welcoming the arrest of owner of Afkar daily Pyare Miyan, accused of raping four minor girls and running a sex racket in Madhya Pradesh, the Indian Journalists Union demanded strictest action be taken against him as other than his heinous crimes he had sullied the profession of journalism. Further, the Union demanded the SIT investigate the matter thoroughly in the backdrop of rumours he had a ‘quid pro quo relationship with those in power’.

11 July 2020: The Indian Journalists Union is deeply dismayed over J&K administration extending the restrictions on internet speed (4G) till 29th July and the Union Home Ministry’s non-compliance of Supreme Court orders to constitute a ‘Special Committee’ to review these restrictions. At the same time, the IJU hopes the apex court would list a contempt petition filed against non-compliance of its orders at its earliest convenience.

New Delhi, 10 July 2020: The Indian Journalists Union welcomes the Delhi High Court order vacating its 2017 interim order banning publication of any allegations or complaints of sexual harassment made against venture capitalist Mahesh Murthy, who is managing partner of a firm Seedfirm and Managing Director of a digital brand management firm Pinstorm, The case related to accounts of alleged harassment by Murthy, “almost all during professional interactions”, as reported by FactorDaily, during 2003 to 2016.

8 July 2020: The Indian Journalists Union (IJU) has expressed serious concern over a police complaint by Lawsohtun village council against The Shillong Times editor Patricia Mukhim on Monday for a social media post. The village council filed the complaint against Mukhim, alleging that her comments on Facebook about the attack on six non-tribal youths in Lawsohtun village last week could incite communal tension.