Ten press associations from Maharashtra demonstrated in Mumbai and Pune on Thursday, expressing concerns that the Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill, 2024, will impact press freedom.
The protesting organisations include Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh, Mumbai Press Club, Pune Union of Working Journalists, Brihanmumbai Union of Journalists, TV Journalists Association, Mumbai Patrakar Parishad, Mumbai Hindi Patrakar Sangh, Mumbai Crime Reporters Association, Brihanmumbai Mahanagarpalika Vartahar Sangh, and Mantralay and Vidhi Mandal Vartahar Sangh.
The bill was first introduced in the Maharashtra assembly during the monsoon session in July 2024. It was reintroduced in December by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and subsequently sent to a joint select committee, led by Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule, for review. The committee is likely to present its recommendations before the end of the monsoon session – the session begins in June.
Meanwhile, hundreds of social organisations and civil liberties groups have reportedly called for state-wide protests on April 22.
The journalist bodies that carried out protests on Thursday –at the Pune collector’s office and on the premises of the Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh in Mumbai – argue that the bill would impact media professionals the most though it was promoted by Mahayuti government leaders as a measure against “Urban Naxals”.
Media representatives from these outfits plan to meet Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Governor CP Radhakrishnan to voice their concerns and demand dismissal of what they call “motivated cases” against journalists. They cite the recent arrest of journalist Tushar Kharat as an example of this trend. Kharat was detained on extortion charges after reporting on his YouTube channel about a 2017 case allegedly involving then minister Jaykumar Gore.
The Brihanmumbai Union of Journalists submitted a formal objection to the panel led by Bawankule on April 1, demanding the bill’s withdrawal. Their submission raised several key concerns such as the bill granting broad powers to ban organisations and seize property based on vaguely defined “unlawful activities”. Terms like “distrust,” “urban Naxals,” and “unlawful activity” remain ambiguous and subject to interpretation, the submission claimed. The legislation’s broad definitions could criminalise legitimate journalistic work, including written texts, social media posts, and media content, it said.
The law, as per the BUJ’s submission, provides minimal oversight for government actions against declared “unlawful” groups. Similar laws in other states have reportedly been used to silence dissent rather than address their stated purposes, it said.
BUJ general secretary Indra Kumar Jain said the legislation will “negatively impact” civil liberties. “Journalists in the state already face job insecurity, threats, and even imprisonment for their investigative work. Apart from the bill, the government’s plan to set up a media monitoring centre, costing Rs 10 crore, to track ‘negative news’ is also worrying. We believe this will result in policing and censoring our work.”
Suneet Bhave, president of the Pune Union of Working Journalists, said the legislation gives “unchecked powers to the police and district administration, which can easily be misused”. “If a journalist reports any wrongdoing by a minister, police, or government official, they could become a target under this bill. It contains several vague and problematic clauses.”
Meenakshi Gurav, an office-bearer of the Pune Union of Working Journalists, said the bill lacks clarity, and “without clear definitions, journalists will be the most affected”. “While the bill doesn’t specifically mention journalists, it’s clear that those who talk negatively about the government could face action and will be arrested. Journalists are the ones who write often about government wrongdoings, and this bill could prevent us from doing our jobs effectively. The government should clearly state that this bill does not apply to journalists.”
Geeta Seshu, Mumbai-based senior journalist and co-editor of the Free Speech Collective, said the bill can be misused “going by the experience of journalists in Chhattisgarh”. “Journalists in Maharashtra are alarmed by sweeping provisions in this bill, to criminalise alleged unlawful activity or even association and expression through any medium. Reports, opinions, cartoons, podcasts etc, are liable to prosecution.”
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