INS urges Kerala govt to withdraw amendment to the Kerala Police Act

Indian Newspaper Society (INS) President L Adimoolam has expressed his dismay and shock with the ordinance issued by the Government of Kerala to amend the Kerala Police Act to provide stringent punishment for publication of material deemed to be defamatory against all sections of media. The Society has strongly protested promulgation of this draconian ordinance, which it said will give Police and State Government “unbridled powers to harass and prosecute print, electronic and digital media in the State of Kerala for exercising the freedom of the Press enshrined in the Constitution”.

The Society has urged the Kerala Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues to withdraw this hastily promulgated law, which it said has a serious and chilling effect on the right of the media to report news. In a statement issued, INS pointed out, “The Supreme Court in 2015 in a similar case passed a landmark judgment and struck down Section 66A of the IT Act and Section 118 (d) of the Kerala Police Act, for being violative of the right to freedom of speech and expression and for its vagueness as ultra vires of the Constitution.”

While the Society recognised the need for responsible use of social media through self regulation, it stated that this amendment to the Kerala Police Act needed to be immediately withdrawn by the State Government. The Society is confident that those in authority will pay heed to the spontaneous reaction of the media and the public against the provisions of the ordinance.

INS further said that the Kerala Chief Minister, subsequently has assured, that the provisions will not be implemented until the concerns are discussed in the Kerala Assembly, which has the powers to convert the ordinance into a permanent legislation. The Society, therefore, urged the Chief Minister to take immediate steps to pass a fresh ordinance to withdraw the proposed amendments made to the Kerala Police Act, and thereby restore the freedom of Press.