20 December 2018: The Indian Journalists Union (IJU) strongly protested against the jailing of journalist Kishorechandra Wangkhem for one year under the National Security Act (NSA) on Tuesday in Manipur. He was accused of posting objectionable and defamatory comments in social media against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, the Chief Minister of Manipur and the Prime Minister.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Indian Journalists Union (IJU) President and member of the Press Council of India (PCI) Amar Devulapalli and Secretary-General Sabina Inderjit said the decision of the Advisory Board under the National Security Act (NSA) to incarcerate Kishorechandra Wangkhem for one year after a Chief Judicial Magistrate bailed him out in a case of sedition, smacked of vindictiveness and a direct attack on the freedom expression guaranteed under the Constitution.

“While the IJU does not support use of objectionable and indecent language, it strongly feels that Government of Manipur should have pursued the case of defamation against him if it felt aggrieved by his comments. The use of draconian NSA to silence a contrary view, however offensive it may be, is fraught with dangerous consequences for the future of the freedom of expression and freedom of press in the country and hence unacceptable,” the IJU statement said.

Amar and Sabina demanded that the Manipur government should immediately withdraw his detention under NSA and try Kishorechandra Wangkhem under the normal laws of the land for his comments were considered offensive and indecent.