Journalists from various media houses condemned the UIDAI’s decision to file an FIR against The Tribune for exposing the possible threat to the private data of people enrolled with Aadhaar.

At a meeting organised by the Delhi Union of Journalists, the journalists said the Centre is misusing law to intimidate and harass the fourth estate.

They further said it is their duty to oppose the manner in which the legal system is being misused.

The meeting also expressed concern at the proliferation of false information and fake news and said the country is going to an era of darkness, where no discussion is allowed on matters of public importance.

Editor of The Tribune Harish Khare said in a message to the meeting that he is “thankful” to the Centre and the UIDAI and the police for slapping a criminal case against The Tribune and its reporter Rachna Khaira.

“I wish to reiterate — with all the seriousness and as responsibly as possible — that what Khaira did was nothing more than perform her duty as a professional journalist. And, we at The Tribune did nothing more than what any other set of editors would have done,” he said.

Khare added that journalists in The Tribune believe in the Constitution and its values and seek to provide space to the voices of dissent. “And, yet, we are sought to be hauled up for doing a spot of honest, legitimate investigative reporting; we are sought to be intimidated for practising a bit of old fashioned journalism,” he said.

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