Police conducts search on Asianet News office in Kerala

The Kerala police on Sunday carried out a "search" at the office of Malayalam news channel Asianet News in Kozhikode in connection with a case.

A senior police officer, who was leading the team that arrived at the Kozhikode office of the news channel, later told reporters in Kozhikode that the "search" was carried out as part of the investigation in the case.

"No documents have been taken," the officer said.

According to news reports, the case registered by the police is based on a complaint lodged by a politician alleging that an interview done by the channel of a schoolgirl who was allegedly forced to work as a drug courier was fake news.

The police search comes just a couple of days after a group of Students Federation of India activists allegedly trespassed into the Kochi office of the news channel and intimidated the staff.

Following the police search, Asianet News tweeted: "Days after SFI hooliganism, Kerala police conducts 'search' at Asianet News Kozhikode office. Regardless, Asianet News continues to report, true to its motto: Straight. Bold. Relentless. #AttackOnMedia #PressFreedom #AsianetNewsAttacked."

The search was condemned by the Congress and BJP in Kerala which termed it as "a sign of intolerance" and a "fascist approach", respectively.

Congress leader VD Satheesan said the police action was "a sign of intolerance against protests, criticism or questioning of those in power" and it has been on a rise in the state.

The Leader of the Opposition said such actions indicate that there is no difference between the Narendra Modi government at the Centre and the Pinarayi Vijayan regime in Kerala.
Satheesan also referred to Vijayan as the mund (dhoti) wearing Modi".

He said that Modi used the income tax to raid BBC offices and the Kerala Chief Minister used the crime branch wing of police to search the Asianet News office.

BJP's Kerala unit president K Surendran said the search at the Asianet News office was "an example of the fascist approach" of the state government towards the media.

Meanwhile, BJP Rajya Sabha member Prakash Javadekar condemned the recent attack on the Kochi office of the news channel.

"It was a violent and brutal attack. It is an attack on freedom of the press in the country. It cannot be tolerated. There is no reason for the justification for the violence and terrorising of the employees. It is not done. State government should arrest all those who attacked the Asianet office," he said.

The Kerala Union of Working Journalists also condemned the police action.