New Delhi

Press Council Chairman Markandeya Katju on Wednesday issued a show cause notice to Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan over attacks on journalists in the state and threatened to recommend to the President dismissal of the state government.

" It is the duty of the state government to maintain law and order in the state. But it seems to me that your government is neither able to maintain law and order nor prevent attack on journalists, which seriously imperils freedom of the press," Katju said in a letter to Chavan.

" You are, therefore, requested to now show cause why I should not recommend to the President of India and seek dismissal of your state government under Article 356 of the Constitution.

This is because your government apparently seems to have failed to uphold the Constitution, as it has failed to uphold the freedom of the press under Article 19 ( 1) ( a)," he said.

Katju asked Chavan to reply to his letter within three weeks, after which he would take " such action as is fit in the circumstances". The letter was written after a delegation of journalists from Maharashtra met him and apprised him of attacks on journalists and media houses in the state, including the one on The Times of India building in Mumbai.

Katju also resented not getting any reply from Maharashtra government to two of his letters earlier on the issue of attacks on journalists.

" In this connection, I had written two letters to you but there was no response from your side to either of them. Did I not even deserve the courtesy of a reply?" he said. Katju said he was informed that in the last ten years over 800 journalists were physically attacked, while in the last two- and- half years 213 journalists were attacked by political workers and anti- social elements.

Markandeya Katju