Mamata Banerjee alleged that national newspapers are not being allowed to write certain news reports
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged on Wednesday that FIRs are now being lodged against journalists to intimidate them if anything adverse is reported against certain people.
"Now if a reporter writes something, utters certain words, an FIR is filed and cases are lodged," the chief minister said at a programme in Kolkata.
"No national newspaper is now being allowed to write certain news reports and subjected to strong arm tactics," she said without elaborating.
She was apparently hinting at the Unique Identification Authority of India lodging a complaint against four persons, including a reporter of The Tribune who had filed a story on alleged breach in Aadhaar database.
The FIR attracted strong criticism from various media organisations and Union IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the FIR was against "unknown" persons and asserted the commitment of the centre to the freedom of the press.