The Editors Guild of India has strongly condemned threats to K Gopalakrishnan, editor of Malayalam daily Mathrubhumi, by leaders of the CPI (M) and its frontal organisations in Kerala.
In a statement, the Guild demanded an immediate end to the "intimidatory tactics" against Mathrubhumi and called upon the Kerala government to ensure protection to the journalists of the newspaper.
It also said anonymous posters had appeared in Kerala warning that the Editor would be framed with lewd charges.
"The threats of retaliation and punishment issued by the CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan to the Mathrubhumi newspaper are a direct affront to the freedom of the Press," the Guild's statement said.
The Guild described the attacks on the editor as a crude and irresponsible reaction to the journalistic work of the newspaper and called for necessary legal action against those who adopt such reprehensible tactics against the media.