Washington: A global media watchdog has urged the Indian government to ban a group of nationalists targeting "biased" journalists online, saying the harassment of those who don’t toe the line of the ruling party was reaching "alarming proportions".
The watchdog, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), said that with the general election nearing, journalists must be able to express themselves without having to fear for their physical or professional survival. "Otherwise, Indian democracy will be nothing more than a distant illusion," Daniel Bastard, the head of the RSF’s Asia-Pacific desk, said.
The RSF said the online harassment of journalists was particularly disturbing since it could lead to murder, as was the case with Gauri Lankesh, who was shot dead outside her home in Bangalore a year ago.
It also urged the authorities to guarantee the physical and professional survival of journalists.
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