New Delhi: The Editors Guild of India and the Press Club of India (PCI) have strongly condemned the filing of FIRs against senior journalists Siddharth Varadarajan, Founding Editor of The Wire, and Karan Thapar, Consulting Editor of The Wire, by the Assam Police. The two bodies have demanded immediate withdrawal of the FIRs, warning that the use of provisions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) threatens press freedom in the country.
“While laws must always be respected and upheld, they must not be misused to suppress journalism. The Editors Guild urges the Assam Police to refrain from actions that could cast even the slightest doubt on their true intent,” the Guild stated, making the call for withdrawal central to its response.
The Guild underlined that this is not an isolated case, recalling that the Supreme Court had only recently granted Varadarajan protection against coercive action in a previous FIR filed in Morigaon related to critical reporting on the government’s Operation Sindoor. On August 12, 2025, a Supreme Court bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi had extended protection to all Wire journalists against coercive measures in FIR (0181/2025) under Section 152 of the BNS.
Echoing the Guild, the PCI said, “The undersigned media organisations demand the immediate withdrawal of these cases against The Wire’s journalists, as well as the withdrawal of the draconian Section 152 of BNS, which threatens freedom of expression as enshrined in Article 19(1)a of the Indian Constitution.”
Both organisations warned that provisions of the BNS are being misapplied to muzzle the media. “The Guild is extremely disturbed by this continuing trend of law enforcement agencies across states registering FIRs against journalists by invoking multiple provisions of the criminal code. This practice effectively muzzles independent journalism, as the very process of responding to notices, summons, and prolonged judicial proceedings becomes a form of punishment,” the Guild cautioned.
PCI further pointed out, “While we welcome the relief given by the Supreme Court to The Wire and Varadarajan last week, the registration of a new case against him and Karan Thapar makes it apparent that Section 152 has become a tool with which to target the media in India.”
Section 152 of the BNS, which deals with acts “endangering the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India,” is at the centre of the controversy. The Guild observed that the provision is “widely regarded as a repackaged version of the draconian sedition law.” It added, “The invocation of Section 152 of the BNS is particularly troubling, since it is widely regarded as a repackaged version of the draconian sedition law, rather than meaningfully engage with the concerns raised by the Court, the government reintroduced the provision in broader form under the new law.”
PCI added, “As can be seen from the actions of the Assam Police, Section 152 of BNS has been weaponised to chill the press into silence.”
The Guild also reminded that it had warned the Union Home Ministry in July 2024 that “these provisions pose a serious risk of misuse against free speech, and had sought procedural safeguards.”
Reiterating its core message, the Guild stressed: “While laws must always be respected and upheld, they must not be misused to suppress journalism. Honest journalism can never be a crime.”
By placing their demands firmly on the immediate withdrawal of the FIRs and the reconsideration of BNS provisions, both the Editors Guild and PCI have underscored that the issue extends beyond two journalists — it is about safeguarding India’s press freedom.
