New Delhi: Eighteen opposition political party MPs have released a statement to the media expressing concern at the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Assam government’s repeated use of a ‘repackaged’ sedition law against The Wire’s founding editor Siddharth Varadarajan, its editors, journalists and columnists who have written for it and veteran Karan Thapar over coverage during India’s Operation Sindoor.The statement is signed by Jairam Ramesh, Tiruchi Siva, John Brittas, Ramgopal Yadav, Digvijaya Singh, Jaya Bachchan, Renuka Choudhary, Mukul Wasnik, Sakthisinh Gohil, Syed Naseer Hussain, Javed Ali Khan, A.A. Rahim, V. Sivadasan, R. Girirajan, Anil Kumar Yadav, K. Kanimozhi, Karti Chidambaram and Mahua Moitra.The full statement reads:We are extremely concerned by the Assam Police’s harassment of Siddharth Varadarajan, Karan Thapar and other journalists associated with The Wire, misusing Section 152, BNS to file multiple criminal cases against them which carry the threat of life imprisonment.The summons to journalists is a blatant attack on press freedom and democracy itself. The BJP government in Assam is misusing rebranded sedition laws to intimidate independent voices and silence criticism. We strongly condemn this and demand its withdrawal.We call upon the police to immediately withdraw these malafide cases and for an end to use of Section 152 against the media.Earlier, several opposition leaders had spoken out in support of The Wire as well.Tamil Nadu chief minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam head M.K. Stalin noted that a democracy cannot survive if those asking questions are treated as seditious.In a post on X, Stalin wrote:I strongly condemn the action of the Assam Police in issuing summons to senior journalists [Siddharth Varadarajan] and [Karan Thapar] of The Wire.The summons have been issued despite the Supreme Court granting protection in a related matter only days earlier. No copy of the FIR and no particulars of the case have been furnished, leaving only the threat of arrest. Section 152 of the BNS is being misused as a substitute for the repealed sedition law to suppress independent journalism.A democracy cannot survive if asking questions is treated as sedition.Samajwadi Party chief and Lok Sabha MP Akhilesh Yadav wrote in Hindi:Those who sided with the enslavers of the nationNow those informers have accused the patriots!The BJP has proven itself extremely weak by charging India’s internationally renowned journalists with sedition.Deplorable!Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Kumar Jha also issued a missive on X:[Assam Police], please stop intimidating journalists like [Karan Thapar and Siddharth Varadarajan] from [The Wire]. The freedom of the press is not a privilege granted by those in power, but a right that safeguards the people against arbitrary authority. Jai Hind.Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra highlighted how this action goes against Supreme Court’s order.When SC said no new cases u/ sedition 124A IPC Govt swore to remove law. Liars then put more draconian Sec 152 in new BNS. Mickey Mouse FIR on [Siddharth Varadarajan] who got stay from SC. Now summoned again on fresh sedition FIR, copy of which is missing! @thewire_in @assampolice.