New Delhi: Press Council of India Chairman Justice Markandey Katju has sent a showcause notice to Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan over the recent attacks on journalists. Katju has threatened to recommend the dismissal of the government to the President.
Katju has asked Chavan to reply to his letter within three weeks, after which he said he would take action.
In the letter Katju said, "It seems to me that your government is neither able to maintain law and order nor prevent attack on journalists, which seriously imperils freedom of the press. You are, therefore, requested to now show cause why I should not recommend to the President of India to dismiss your state government under Article 356 of the Constitution."
He wrote to the Chief Minister after a delegation of journalists from Maharashtra met him and apprised him of attacks on journalists and media houses in the state.
Katju also resented not getting any reply from Maharashtra government to two of his letters earlier on the issue of attacks on journalists.
"In this connection, I had written two letters to you but there was no response from your side to either of them. Did I not even deserve the courtesy of a reply"? he said.
Katju said he was informed that in the last ten years over 800 journalists were physically attacked, while in the last two and half years 213 journalists were attacked by political workers and anti-social elements.
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