New Delhi: Journalists’ organisations have expressed “dismay at the vindictive actions unleashed by Assam Police” against The Wire and its journalists, in invoking Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against the news platform for the second time in two months.On August 12, the Supreme Court had issued notice on The Wire’s petition challenging the constitutionality of the new sedition law and protected its journalists, including founding editor Siddharth Varadarajan, from any “coercive action” by Assam Police in a case filed in Morigaon in July. On the same day, the Guwahati Crime Branch summoned Varadarajan and senior journalist Karan Thapar in a fresh ‘sedition’ FIR filed by the state police. No details were given to The Wire.“It is noteworthy that the summons were issued on August 12, 2025, even as the Supreme Court bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi had granted Varadarajan and all journalists at The Wire protection from any coercive action in an FIR (0181/2025) filed by the Assam Police in Morigaon on July 11, 2025 under Section 152 and other provisions of the BNS,” a statement by The Press Club of India and the Indian Women Press Corps said.“Now, the Assam Police have filed another FIR without mentioning any reason and have asked Varadarajan and Thapar to appear before the investigating officer at the Crime Branch in Guwahati on August 22 – on pain of arrest in the event of non-compliance,” the two organisations added.“It is worth recalling that in May 2022, the Supreme Court had ordered the suspension of proceedings and criminal prosecutions for sedition under section 124A of the erstwhile Indian Penal Code. Section 152 of BNS is a repackaged version of Section 124A. In its writ petition last week, The Wire has also challenged the vires of Section 152, BNS and the apex court issued notice to the Assam government and others,” it said.The statement is signed by Gautam Lahiri, president of the Press Club of India, Neeraj Thakur, secretary general of the Press Club of India, Sujata Raghaban, president of the Indian Women Press Corps, and Aditi Bahl, secretary of the Indian Women Press Corps.They write:“While we welcome the relief given by Supreme Court to The Wire and Varadarajan last week, the registration of a new case against him and Karan Thapar makes it apparent that Section 152 has become a tool with which to target the media in India.“The undersigned media organisations demand the immediate withdrawal of these cases against The Wire’s journalists, as well as the withdrawal of the draconian Section 152 of BNS, which threatens freedom of expression as enshrined in Article 19(1)a of Indian Constitution. As can be seen from the actions of the Assam Police, Section 152 of BNS has been weaponised to chill the press into silence.”‘Attempt to flatten what remains as one of the last few bastions of journalistic ethos’The Centre for Financial Accountability has issued a statement in solidarity with The Wire and its members, calling the targetting with a second FIR by Assam Police “deeply disturbing”.In a statement, the organistation wrote, “The targeting of @svaradarajan, Karan Thapar & @thewire_in by the regime is yet another attempt to flatten what remains as one of the last few bastions of journalistic ethos and editorial courage in India. In the context of an entire media ecosystem of lies, platitudes, misinformation, hate and jingoism, The Wire stands out for giving space to critical and public interest reportage that holds power to account. The fact that the Assam Police is targeting them with sedition despite Supreme Court’s protection from arrest in another similar case is deeply disturbing.”“We note with concern the utter disregard for due process as the copy of the FIR, and description of the alleged offence has not been provided to @svaradarajan and Karan Thapar. The targeting of the two journalists is an assault on all institutions and civic spaces upholding free expression. We salute the courage and resolve of The Wire and its journalists for remaining steadfast to journalistic ethics in the face of repeated assaults. We here at the Centre for Financial Accountability are both proud and grateful for our long association with The Wire and we stand firm in our solidarity with the two journalists,” it stated.‘Continuing attempts to intimidate and harass journalists through misuse of criminal law’The Chennai Press Club has also strongly strongly condemned the Assam Police for what it described as “their continuing attempts to intimidate and harass journalists through the misuse of criminal law.”“The filing of FIRs and summons against senior journalists Siddharth Varadarajan and Karan Thapar of The Wire, including the fresh case under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), is a deliberate act of intimidation aimed at silencing critical voices,” said the Chennai Press Club in its statement.“We note with grave concern that these actions come despite the Supreme Court’s recent protection against coercive measures in related matters, and amid the Court’s ongoing scrutiny of Section 152 of BNS itself. India’s constitutional promise of free speech is not contingent on the comfort of those in power, journalism that interrogates official narratives is a democratic necessity, not a criminal enterprise,” added the statement.The statement said that the indiscriminate use of sweeping penal provisions against reportage, interviews, and commentary violates the spirit of Article 19(1)(a) and the standards laid down by the Supreme Court, which require a proximate link to incitement of violence or public disorder before speech can be criminalised.“Resorting to criminal process for what are plainly journalistic acts converts the process into punishment, burdens newsrooms with harassment, and erodes public trust in the rule of law,” said the statement.The statement added:“We therefore demand the immediate withdrawal of the FIRs against Mr. Varadarajan and Mr. Thapar and cessation of coercive action against The Wire and other journalists in this matter. Call upon the Union Government and Parliament to revisit Section 152 urgently, narrow its vague and overbroad language, and install robust procedural safeguards to prevent misuse against speech and the press. Request the Supreme Court to ring-fence journalism explicitly when testing the validity of Section 152, so that investigative reporting, interviews, and editorial critique cannot be shoehorned into “sovereignty” offences absent clear, direct incitement to violence. The Chennai Press Club stands in full solidarity with Siddharth Varadarajan, Karan Thapar, and the journalists of The Wire. We remind all authorities that honest journalism is not a crime.”‘Complete lack of due process’The Digipub News India Foundation has also strongly condemned the summons issued.“On the very day the Supreme Court granted interim protection from arrest to The Wire’s journalists in one FIR, the Assam police filed another – this time against founding editor Siddharth Varadarajan and senior journalist Karan Thapar – invoking six provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The alleged offences include: Section 152 (acts endangering sovereignty, unity and integrity of the nation), Section 196 (promoting enmity between groups), Section 197(1)(D)/3(6) (publication of false or misleading information), and Sections 353, 45 and 61 (criminal conspiracy),” said a statement issued by the Digipub News India Foundation.“What makes this summons particularly alarming is the complete lack of due process: neither Varadarajan nor Thapar have been provided a copy of the FIR, informed of its date, or given a clear description of the alleged offence – as the law requires. Yet both have been ordered to appear before the Panbazar Crime Branch in Guwahati on 22 August 2025. This action – by an institution meant to protect citizens’ rights – is a direct assault on press freedom and free expression,” the statement added.The statement added that the Supreme Court’s interim protection to The Wire journalists pertained to an earlier FIR (0181/2025) filed in Morigaon on 11 July 2025, based on a complaint by a ruling BJP member. The fresh FIR openly disregards the Court’s orders and violates its guidelines, as well as a Karnataka High Court ruling requiring transparency in such cases, it said.“Section 152 – a thinly rebranded version of the colonial sedition law (IPC 124A) – is being increasingly weaponised to silence free expression. Only last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed sedition had been scrapped. Its constitutional validity is already under challenge in the Supreme Court, and this case is directly linked to that pending petition. To misuse such provisions against journalists is not merely an attack on independent journalism but a grave threat to Indian democracy itself,” said the statement.“We demand that the Assam Police immediately withdraw the summons, comply with Supreme Court orders, and follow due process with full transparency, including furnishing a copy of the FIR. Section 152 and other draconian provisions that curb press freedom and free expression be repealed without delay, and the FIRs against Siddharth Varadarajan and Karan Thapar be withdrawn,” it added.