Editors Guild urges Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan to withdraw amendment

The Editors Guild of India on Tuesday demanded that Kerala’s Chief Minister must withdraw the Kerala Police Act 118 A amendment as it will “deeply hurt the cause of free speech”.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Guild said that it “urges the Chief Minister of Kerala to withdraw the disturbing amendment to the Kerala Police Act 118 A immediately, which provides for upto three years of punishment for publication of material with an intention to intimidate, insult, or defame any person through social media”.

“Although the government has placed the amendment on hold until discussed by the state assembly and has given an assurance to the Kerala High Court that the state police will not take any adverse actions,