MUMBAI: The Editors Guild of India (EGI) and Press Council of India (PCI) have strongly condemned the alleged attack on Republic TV’s editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami and his wife Samyabrata Ray by two people on a bike late Wednesday night, 22 April.

EGI in its statement said: “Any physical attack, instigation for hate or verbal abuse hurled against any journalist is a reprehensible act. The freedom to express one’s views or report facts without any fear or intimidation whatsoever is the most fundamental tenet of journalism.”

The guild has asked the Mumbai police to book those who had attacked the editor and his wife.

Goswami, during a live debate show on Monday, resigned from the membership of EGI while discussing the Palghar lynching incident. He accused EGI of promoting fake news by a few media outlets and keeping mum on the recent lynching in Maharashtra’s Palghar district.

PCI, condemning the attack on Goswami and his wife, said: “Every citizen in the country including a journalist has the right to express their opinion which may not be palatable to many but this does not give anybody the authority to strangulate such voice.”

 “Violence is not the answer even against bad journalism,” it said and urged the state government to apprehend the perpetrators of the crime and bring them to justice immediately.

“While taking suo motu cognisance in the matter, the PCI’s chairman has directed the government of Maharashtra, through the chief secretary and commissioner of police, Mumbai to submit a report on the facts of the case at the earliest,” the statement reads.