October 23,2017:

Ordinance completely bars the media from reporting on accusations made against public servants, judges and magistrates without its sanction.

Editors Guild of India has has asked Rajasthan Govt. to withdraw harmful ordinance that bars media from reporting on accusations against the public servants, judges and magistrates without its sanction.

Editors Guild in its statement stated that,"Ordinance is a pernicious instrument to harass media.It has been promulgated by State Govt. to protect judiciary and Bureaucracy against the false FIRs"

Guild further added that,"In reality it is a pernicious instrument to harass media, hide the wrongful acts by Govt. servants and drastically curb Freedom of Press guaranteed by the Constitution".

Rajasthan Govt. had last month promulgated Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, that seeks to protect the serving and the former judges, magistrates and the public servants in State from being investigated for on-duty action, without its prior sanction.

The Ordinance also bars media from reporting on such accusations till sanction to proceed with probe is given by Government.

The Editors Guild has thus requested the CM Vasundhara Raje to withdraw the harmful ordinance and prevent any Act from being passed that would endanger Freedom of Press".

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