New governments in Tamil Nadu, Assam, and West Bengal: Journalists’ security must be a priority

In three of India's 28 states and eight union territories- India ranks 157th out of 180 countries and territories in RSF's 2026 World Press Freedom Index - recent political changes andre-elections are taking place against a worrying backdrop for journalists. Attacks on reporters covering protests in West Bengal, summonses and phone seizures in Tamil Nadu, judicial harassment, pre-trial detention, and vandalised offices in Assam: Media professionals are working quite often in a difficult environment.

WEST BENGAL

The victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) - the Hindu nationalist party in power at the national level - in the May 2026 elections , has ended 15 years of rule by the centre-left All India Trinamool Congress (TMC). This was followed by the adoption of measures restricting access to the state assembly for journalists in this eastern state, which borders Bangladesh. Just ten days after taking office, the BJP government in West Bengalissued a circular prohibiting civil servants from speaking to the media. It imposes a "total ban" on any direct or indirect communication with the press, any criticism of central or state government policies, and any statement or publication likely to harm relations between West Bengal and New Delhi.

In mid-January, several journalists were attacked while covering protests in Murshidabad following the death of a man from West Bengal who was found hanged in Jharkhand, a neighbouring state where he was working.

Soma Maity, a journalist with the 24-hour news channel Zee 24 Ghanta,, was assaulted by protesters,and Ranjit Mahato, the cameraperson accompanying her, sustained a head injury. Four people, including the main suspect, were arrested shortly afterwards. The following day, Parthapratim Ghosh, a reporter for the 24-hour news channel ABP Ananda,, and Ujjwal Ghosh, a photojournalist from the same outlet, were also attacked by protesters, according to RSF.

TAMIL NADU

Journalist E. Kathiravan and cameraman R. Sebastian from the channel Tamil News were attacked in January 2026 while investigating suspected illegal mining in this coastal state in south-east India. A year earlier, in January 2025, police officers investigating a sexual assault case had summoned and questioned several journalists - who asked to remain anonymous - before seizing their phones. These journalists had downloaded the complaint from the official Tamil Nadu police's official website, where the document had been publicly accessible due to what police described as a technical error.

In the April 2026 election voters in the state brought Joseph Vijay Chandrasekaran to power: a Tamil film star turned politician. Founder of his own party, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which presents itself as a reformist movement), he ended the long-standing dominance of the centre-left Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the centre-right All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). The new government has not yet made any specific public commitment on press freedom.

ASSAM

In Assam, a state in north-east India where the BJPhas been re-elected, pressure on journalists is often exerted through the courts. In September 2025, RSF documented legal proceedings targeting a freelance journalist and two journalists from the news website The Wire, as well as the outlet itself. The complaints were based in part on Section 152 of the Indian Penal Code, which penalises"acts endangering the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India"; a revised version of the former colonial "sedition" law. In March 2025, Dilwar Hussain Mozumder, a journalist from the independent news website Cross Currents, was arrested, placed in police custody, and prosecuted after attempting to cover a bank fraud case. He was eventually released after four days.

In April 2026, the offices of the Lakhimpur edition of the daily Asomiya Pratidin were vandalised; in March individuals had intercepted a vehicle carrying copies of the newspaper and set them on fire.

RSF's recommendations to the new regional governments

• Guarantee safe working conditions for journalists, notably by implementing protection protocols during protest coverage , as well as regional liaison committees dedicated to addressing violence against journalists.
• Conduct prompt investigations and impose effective sanctions in cases of assault.
• Refrain from any abuse of police and judicial powers aimed at targeting journalists, in particular by avoiding recourse to Section 152 of the Penal Code (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, BNS), except in cases of clear and direct incitement to violence.Issue clear administrative instructions to ensure that journalists have access to the contents of First Information Reports (FIRs) filed against them.
• Make regular training mandatory for police forces, judicial staff and law enforcement officers on legislation relating to press freedom, the protection of journalists and the implementation of the right to information.
• Uphold the protection of source confidentiality. To that end, the seizure of journalistic equipment and the extraction of data by law enforcement must be prohibited in the absence of strict judicial oversight, clearly demonstrated necessity, and effective safeguards.
• Strengthen access to public information, particularly by improving responses to requests under the RTI Act, 2005 (Right to Information Act) which guarantees citizens the right to access information held by public bodies), proactively publishing data of general interest, and the introduction of binding deadlines for government departments.
• Support the establishment of a parliamentary fact-finding mission on press freedom - independent in its work and equipped with investigative powers - with the aim to make public recommendations to improve the framework in which journalism is practiced in the regions concerned.