The Editors Guild of India on Tuesday condemned the attack on the offices of Telugu daily Andhra Jyoti by the activists of an organisation representing the backward Madiga community, terming it as an assault on "freedom of press".
"This is an attack on the freedom of the press and there is use of intimidatory and inflammatory methods to silence the voice of the editors and journalists of Andhra Jyoti," Guild said in a statement.
Activists of Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi (MRPS) on Monday stormed into the offices of Andhra Jyoti newspaper at Hyderabad, Warangal and Vishakapatnam. They broke the window panes and set the furniture on fire protesting against publication of a report in the daily which they perceived as insulting.
"The Guild expects the government of Andhra Pradesh to take action under the law against those who stormed into the newspaper offices, poured petrol on staff members and tried to set them on fire," it said, adding these vile actions attract the provisions of the Penal Code, including attempt to murder.
Terming the action of MRPS activists as an affront to all democratic norms, the Guild said: "the Samithi activists have become a law unto themselves while protesting against reporting of the Samithi's activities by Andhra Jyoti." Expressing solidarity with Andhra Jyoti, the Guild called on the civil society and journalistic fraternity to support the newspaper against such attack.
