DUJ Flays Move to ‘Stifle Opposition Voices’, Cites National Herald, Knocking News Cases

New Delhi: Expressing shock at the Centre’s move to seize the assets of the National Herald, including Herald House in Delhi from where the newspaper is published, the Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) said it was nothing but an attempt to “stifle” the Opposition media, leading to more journalists being thrown on the streets.

In a statement, DUJ said this was part of the government’s move to curtail right to free expression and right to earn our livelihoods, whether through the print media or digital platforms like YouTube.

DUJ also said it was appalled at the “sudden, inexplicable closure” of a popular YouTube channel ‘Knocking News’ run by veteran journalist Girijesh Vashistha on April 11, 2005, and called for its immediate, unconditional restoration.

Read the full statement below:

STOP CURTAILING MEDIA FREEDOM, SAYS DUJ

The Delhi Union of Journalists is deeply concerned at recent developments in the media space that seek to curtail our right to free expression and our right to earn our livelihoods, whether through the print media or digital platforms like YouTube.

The Delhi Union of Journalists is shocked at the Union Government’s move to seize the assets of the National Herald, including Herald House in Delhi from which the Herald newspaper is published, besides the Associated Journals Ltd’s buildings in Lucknow and Mumbai. The Enforcement Directorate has demanded vacation of the premises, claiming Rs 661 crore worth properties as part of a money laundering case. In Mumbai a private company that has rented three floors of Herald House in Bandra has been ordered to send the rent it pays directly to the Enforcement Directorate.

These moves are clearly meant to cripple the Congress owned paper financially, forcing its closure. As journalists’ trade unions we are deeply concerned both at the stifling of Opposition media and at the threat to the livelihoods of the employees of the National Herald. The closure of a media establishment means more journalists thrown on the roads at a time when too many are already unemployed and in dire straits.

The Enforcement Directorate’s tactics reminds one of similar moves to cripple other media establishments through financial demands e.g. the Income Tax department’s huge demands from the small portal Newsclick which is consequently unable to pay its employees.

The Delhi Union of Journalists is also appalled at the sudden, inexplicable closure of a popular YouTube channel ‘Knocking News’ run by veteran journalist Girijesh Vashistha on April 11, 2005.   The five-year-old channel had a viewership of some 17 lakhs.  Vashistha has used another channel to speak about this shocking blocking of his channel.  It began with the hacking of his channel. When he filed a complaint with YouTube, instead of removing the offensive material on cryptocurrency etc, the platform chose to block the channel. It is not known whether YouTube has investigated the source of the hacking.  If its firewall is so weak, should it not investigate the matter, before more channels are put at risk? We are concerned at YouTube’s complete lack of transparency in these matters, their deliberate refusal to discuss the issue with the channel owner and provide redress. We demand the unconditional restoration of the channel at the earliest.

• Sujata Madhok, President, and A M Jigeesh, General Secretary, DUJ.