CM Stalin, other Tamil Nadu leaders condemn 'blocking' of Vikatan magazine website
The magazine said in a social media post that there have been numerous reports stating that the Vikatan website has been blocked by the central government
Chief Minister MK Stalin; The cartoon that appeared in Vikatan
CHENNAI: After BJP complained to the Centre against a Tamil digital magazine alleging it published a cartoon showing Prime Minister Narendra Modi offensively, the magazine said its portal is inaccessible to its readers and Chief Minister MK Stalin and leaders of political parties condemned the ‘blocking’ of the website.
The magazine said in a social media post that there have been numerous reports stating that the Vikatan website has been blocked by the central government.
CM Stalin said blocking the media outlet for its opinions went against democratic norms and condemned it.
"This is an example of the BJP's fascist nature," he alleged and urged the Centre to restore the website.
Tamil Nadu Congress president K Selvaperunthagai was among the leaders who condemned the alleged action by the Centre. TVK chief Vijay said the action was tantamount to crippling freedom of expression.
The TVK leader criticised the alleged blocking of the Vikatan website. He emphasised the crucial role of the press in a functioning democracy, saying, "The fourth pillar of democracy — the freedom of the press — must be safeguarded at all costs. If there are allegations regarding the content published by the media, the appropriate course of action is to seek recourse through the judiciary, not by taking draconian steps to stifle free expression."
Vijay expressed deep concern that the Union government might be behind the decision to block the Vikatan website, noting that such actions reflect a disturbing trend of suppressing dissenting voices and curtailing freedom of speech.
"Instead of relying on authoritative and suppressive measures, the government should engage in dialogue and resolve disputes through the legal framework, " he argued.
Reacting to CM Stalin's criticism, BJP vice president Narayanan Thirupathy asked whether the Chief Minister was aware of the concept of freedom of expression.
"Please talk about freedom of expression after reading the list of persons who were arrested during the past four years for criticising you and your government," the BJP leader said.
Tamil Nadu BJP president Annamalai on February 15 wrote to Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, L Murugan, seeking suitable action against Vikatan magazine for its "cover picture aimed at defaming PM Modi" and also explained the cartoon's features and termed it offensive.
"Freedom of the press does not give a licence to a newspaper to malign a political leader by publishing fake and defamatory writings," Annamalai said in his plaint.
The Tamil Nadu BJP top leader said two separate representations had been sent; one to the chairperson of the Press Council of India and another to Union Minister Murugan seeking prompt action against Vikatan magazine "for being a mouthpiece of the DMK and for publishing offensive and baseless content," against PM Modi.
It said: "Many users from different locations have reported that they are unable to access the Vikatan website. However, as of now, there has been no official announcement from the central government regarding the blocking of the Vikatan website."
Further, it said: "Earlier, Vikatan Plus, the digital magazine of Vikatan, published a cover cartoon (Feb 10, Monday) highlighting the issue of Indians being handcuffed and deported from the United States while Prime Minister Modi remained silent on the matter. This cartoon was criticised by BJP supporters, and BJP state president K Annamalai reportedly complained about Vikatan with the central government."
Asserting its commitment to freedom of expression, the magazine said it was trying to ascertain the reasons behind the blocking of its website and that it was taking up the matter with the union information ministry.
(with inputs from PTI)
