The media is often called the fourth pillar of democracy. But is it really so? Is the attempt to stifle the free voice of the media not an interference with freedom of speech? While the media has the right to freedom of speech on paper, the reality is very different in some states of Bharat.

Manab Guha, a prominent journalist in West Bengal and editor of The News Bangla portal, was called to the police station and detained by the police of Lalbazar police station. Just before going to the police station, journalist Manab Guha informed viewers through The News Bangla‘s Facebook Live that he was called to the police station.

Journalist Manab Guha came live from the Facebook page of The News Bangla yesterday evening and said, “At this moment, the police from Lalbazar police station have come to the office of The News Bangla. They said that the officer in charge of the police station wants to meet you. You have to go to the police station.”

“An officer started forcing me to go to the police station. I am going to the Lalbazar police station now,” he added. It is being reported that Manab Guha has been arrested and justification given by police is that the footage he posted ‘could generate additional hostility in society’.

It should be mentioned that recently, The News Bangla brought into the limelight the horrific sectarian Islamist attack on Hindus on the day of Lakshmi Puja in Mominpur, Kolkata. As a result, locals suspect that Manab Guha has been taken to the police station and detained for covering this violence that the Mamata Banerjee regime wishes to suppress.

Common people are raising their voices in protest against the detention of this popular journalist. People are expressing their anger in different ways on social media. At the same time, ordinary people consider this arrest an obstacle to freedom of speech.

-By Sayan Dey