Tamil Nadu’s move to arrest a Tamil magazine editor using an antediluvian law on assaulting constitutional functionaries like the President and governors was extremely ill-advised. The fact the police complaint came from Raj Bhavan is a clear pointer to the abuse of power by the governor. Arresting someone for publishing even a scurrilous article is unacceptable. There are criminal defamation laws that can be used to pinpoint innuendo or publishing of fake news. The magazine may have got a reputation for challenging authority and powerful people based on information that may have been less than solid, but the right to question people in high offices can’t be abridged by the threat to jail editors and publishers.
Tamil Nadu’s current governor has often been seen to overstep his authority as in threatening to use Section 124 IPC against Opposition leaders over protests over his style of functioning. While his right to do so may be backed by the rules, facing up to criticism is also a part of public life. As a seasoned politician who has been on both sides of India’s major political divide before becoming a governor, Mr Banwarilal Purohit should be aware such governance issues are subject to criticism too. There’s no reason to believe he has anything to do with the curious case of a jailed assistant professor misleading students into a sex-for-comforts scandal. He is, however, not doing his own reputation any good by acting like a medieval ruler. It’s as well that a magistrate’s court refused to see this as fit case to jail an editor or his employees.
