16 August, 2019 :The Indian Journalists Union (IJU) has condemned the high handedness of the Meghalaya police to browbeat the news portal Northeast Now to remove a news item and disclose its sources. Worse, the police has asserted that media houses had no journalistic privilege or any codification which prevents them from disclosing their sources.

The issue has led to apprehension among the State’s media fraternity wherein they fear police reprisal. The row follows Northeast Now carrying an item suggesting senior Congress leader Mukul Sangma may join BJP, in the ongoing membership drive. The portal was sent a notice under Section 91CrPc by Special SP MGT Sangma directing it ‘remove the item’, as it was “misinformation” and also “provide the authenticity of the sources of information.”

The portal published the said notice under the headline “Meghalaya Police sends gag order to Northeast Now, demands source of information from Journalists”. Thereafter, the Assistant IG (A) J.K Ingarai, issued a press release to a number of Editors justifying its notice claiming the item contains “rumours which may incite hatred or ill-will between different communities” apart from “the intent to defame Mukul Sangma.” He also asserted there is “no journalistic privilege or any codification that prevents media houses from disclosing their source of information as and when required”.

In a statement, IJU President and Member, Press Council of India D Amar and Secretary-General and IFJ Vice President Sabina Inderjit said the notice was the misuse of power as the news item was far from “inciting hatred or ill will” and no criminal case was registered. Importantly, they said, the police could not compel the portal to disclose its sources, as the media’s right to protect its sources is internationally recognized and the Press Council of India's Norms of Journalistic Ethics too reiterates such a right.

Making a note that the portal had later duly added Mukul Sangma’s tweet saying the item was “misinformation,” the IJU and Northeast India Federation of Journalists, said the matter should have ended there. To persist and ask the portal to disclose its source was unfair and arbitrary, said the IJU and demanded the police withdraw its order against Northeast Now.