PALAKKAD (Kerala): The Indian Journalists Union (IJU) urged the Kerala Government to withdraw the controversial Kerala Police (amendment) Ordinance, 2020 promulgated by the Hon’ble Governor Arif Mohammad Khan on November 21, 2020 amending the Kerala Police Act, 2011 that gave authoritarian powers to police that could be misused against the freedom of press and free expression.
The IJU felt the amendment would be a draconian law in the hands of police who could put people behind bars for three years. Though the amendment was brought by the Government to give more teeth to prosecute persons who exploit social media to target women and children. But the Ordinance did not say social media but made it applicable to all including the freedom of expression.
The IJU was sure that the new amendment would grant wide latitude to the law enforcers to crack down on freedom of speech and bully critics, Journalists and commentators into obedience. Such a draconian law was not expected from the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government led by the Communists in Kerala.
Thus the IJU demanded the Kerala government to withdraw the Ordinance forthwith as it would curb the media freedom, muzzle free speech and jeopardise civil liberties. The IJU also felt that the Hon’ble Governor should have returned such an amendment that would have gagged the media by asking the State Government to reconsider the amendment brought as an Ordinance.
G. Prabhakaran, Secretary General, Palakkad