Withdraw 'draconian' amendments to IT Rules: Editors Guild
New Delhi (PTI): The Editors Guild of India on Friday said it was "deeply disturbed" by the "draconian" amendments to the Information Technology Rules that gave the government "absolute power" to determine fake news.
In a statement here, the Guild urged the government to withdraw the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules and hold consultations with media organisations and press bodies, as it had promised earlier.
The Guild said as per the rules, the IT Ministry has given itself the power to constitute a "fact checking unit", which will have sweeping powers to determine what is "fake or false or misleading", with respect to "any business of the Central Government."
The ministry has also empowered itself to issue instructions to 'intermediaries' (including social media intermediaries, Internet Service Providers, and other service providers), to not host such content, the Guild said.
"In effect, the government has given itself absolute power to determine what is fake or not, in respect of its own work, and order take down," the statement said.
The Guild said there was no mention of the governing mechanism for such a fact checking unit, the judicial oversight, the right to appeal, or adherence to the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court of India in Shreya Singhal v Union of India case, with respect to take down of content or blocking of social media handles.
"All this is against principles of natural justice, and akin to censorship," it said.
The Guild said it was surprising that the Ministry had notified this amendment, without any meaningful consultation that it had promised after withdrawing the earlier draft amendments it had put out in January 2023.
"The Ministry's notification of such draconian rules is therefore regrettable. The Guild again urges the Ministry to withdraw this notification and conduct consultations with media organisations and press bodies," it said.
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Cong leaders write to Rahul Gandhi asking him to warn those aspiring for K'taka CM post
Bengaluru, Sep 10: A group of Congress leaders have written to Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi to warn party leaders and state Ministers, who are weighing in for the Chief Minister's post, in the event of leadership change in Karnataka.
The signatories of the letter including current and former lawmakers and some ex-Ministers have also urged him to issue a direction not to issue damaging statements in future, in the interest of the Congress party and the state of Karnataka.
As Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's petition challenging the Governor's sanction for his prosecution in the MUDA site allotment case is being heard in the High Court, Congress leaders seem to be preparing for a race to become CM, in case of leadership change in the state, with several of them openly expressing their desire.
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"...... more than six leaders including senior Ministers are issuing statements claiming the post of Chief Minister, instead of fighting against BJP and JD(S). Due to this many of our leaders and workers are getting demoralized and losing hope in the government and the party," the letter addressed to Rahul Gandhi said.
Similarly, the people of Karnataka are gradually losing faith in the party and government, because of "infighting and reckless statements" of some leaders, it said.
"Therefore, we humbly appeal to your esteemed office to take note of the statements issued by the said leaders and warn them against issuing such damaging statements in future in the interest of Congress party and state of Karnataka," it added.
Congress leaders B L Shankar, V S Ugrappa, H M Revanna, V R Sudarshan, L Hanumanthaiah, Prakash Rathod are some of the signatories of the letter.
State Congress working president Manjunath Bhandary and MLC Dinesh Gooligowda on Monday had written to AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, asking him to curb speculation over the Chief Minister’s tenure.
While Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress President D K Shivakumar is seen as a prime contender for the post in case of any change in leadership, names of senior Parameshwara and PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi too are doing rounds, especially following their recent meeting with party leadership in New Delhi.
A verbal duel of sorts had erupted between two senior Ministers -- M B Patil and Shivanand Patil -- about seniority as the yardstick to become the Chief Minister.
Senior Congress MLAs -- Administrative Reforms Commission Chairperson R V Deshpande and Basavaraj Rayrareddy, who is Siddaramaiah's financial adviser -- too have expressed their wish to become the Chief Minister.
