Gaurav Gogoi Criticizes Police Summons to Journalists Varadarajan, Thapar

Speedy Summary

• Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi condemned Assam police’s summoning of journalists Siddharth Varadarajan and Karan Thapar in connection with sedition charges.
• Gogoi stated Assam is “in the news for all the wrong reasons,” criticizing alleged greed, corruption, incompetency, and lawlessness in the state government.
• He called for leadership to build an inclusive “greater Assam” founded on Assamese values that promotes creativity among diverse ethnicities, religions, and linguistic groups.
• The two journalists are summoned by Guwahati City police’s crime branch on August 22.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The summoning of high-profile journalists over sedition allegations sparks concerns about press freedom in India. While individual cases must be evaluated within legal frameworks, such incidents potentially impact public perception regarding accountability and media independence.gaurav Gogoi’s statement highlights frustration among opposition leaders over governance lapses in Assam while invoking aspirations for inclusivity and progress across communities. Policymakers may increasingly face calls to balance law enforcement efforts with constitutional protections to ensure trust in democratic processes.

Read more: Sedition redux: On trampling on press freedom