Jammu: The State Investigation Agency (SIA) of the Jammu and Kashmir police raided the office of the Kashmir Times on Thursday, November 20, citing promotion of activities against the country.
According to PTI, an official said that a case has been registered against the newspaper for “glorification of activities inimical to the interests of the country.”
The SIA investigators reportedly conducted a thorough raid of the office, examining its newspapers and computers.
A case has been registered against the agency and its promoters. They are likely to be called in for questioning soon.
Local media reported that an FIR has also been filed against Anuradha Bhasin, the executive editor of the newspaper.
The news agency has responded to the raids on their website, calling it “yet another attempt to silence us.”
“Criticising the government is not the same as being inimical to the state. In fact, it is the very opposite.” It stated that its questioning nature is “essential to a healthy democracy.”
“Our work of holding power to account, investigating corruption, and amplifying marginalised voices strengthens our nation. It does not weaken it,” they wrote.
“We are being targeted precisely because we continue to do this work. In an era when critical voices are increasingly scarce, we remain one of the few independent outlets willing to speak truth to power.”
Kashmir Times was founded by Ved Bhasin, father of the current editor-in-chief, Anuradha, in 1954. It first circulated as a weekly publication and was converted to a daily ten years later. It is the oldest and largest circulated newspaper of Jammu and Kashmir.
Earlier in 2020, its Srinagar office was shut by the government, prompting it to go online.
“Journalism is not a crime. Accountability is not treason. And we will continue to inform, investigate, and advocate for those who depend on us. The state may have the power to raid our offices. But it cannot raid our commitment to the truth,” their statement read.
With the SIA insisting that “platforms must not be misused to promote seditious or separatist ideas,” the operation highlights the continuous crackdown in Kashmir.
