Editors Guild condemns attack on journalist Nikhil Wagle

MUMBAI: The Editors Guild of India on Saturday condemned an attack on senior journalist Nikhil Wagle in Pune and expressed concern about the police’s action of registering a case against him over a controversial comment, while the Congress said the incident reflected the collapse of rule of law in Maharashtra.

A day after a car taking Wagle to a public meeting was attacked, allegedly by BJP workers who were protesting his remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and L K Advani after the BJP veteran was awarded the Bharat Ratna, police on Saturday registered a case against some BJP workers.

“The Editors Guild calls on the administration in Pune and the Maharashtra government to book the guilty,” the Editors Guild said in a statement issued from the national capital.

It also noted that First Information Reports (FIRs) were registered against Wagle over his statement, and expressed deep concern about the “misuse of criminal laws against journalists in an effort to intimidate and harass them.”

“We urge law enforcement agencies to exercise restraint before registering complaints against journalists as an FIR, lest the process of investigation becomes a punishment itself,” the Guild said.

In a post on X in Hindi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “Law and order has collapsed under the Maharashtra government formed by the BJP’s stealing of mandate.”

“A politician is being brutally murdered on Facebook Live. An outspoken journalist is being attacked by unruly goons of the BJP-RSS. A BJP MLA is openly shooting at another politician in the police station,” Kharge said.

He was referring to the murder of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Abhishek Ghosalkar in Mumbai and an incident in Thane district earlier this month where BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad opened fire inside a police station and injured a worker of the Shiv Sena.