Inserts:
00:03 Report / Adil Bhat and Sharique Ahmad 
00:33 Sidharth Vardrajan / Founding Editor, The Wire 
02:08 Ajay Gudavarthy / Political Scientist, Jawaharlal Nehru University
02:41 Shazia Ilmi / BJP Spokesperson

Script: 
00:02- 00:30
This newsroom was one of the first casualties of a government crackdown on free speech, during the recent military escalation between India and Pakistan. 
The Wire is known for its independent reporting. It was taken offline for more than 12 hours after it re-published a CNN report on Pakistan’s claim that it had shot down an Indian fighter jet.  
Once the team removed the article, the Wire was allowed back online. 
Sidharth Vardrajan, Founding Editor, The Wire  
+++ SOT (English) 00:31- 1:01 
 “I think what the government was trying to do by blocking the wire was to send a message to people across the country that if a prominent website like the wire, which is widely respected within the country and abroad, can also be blocked, then what chance do you have with your criticism. So, the message really was to try to silence people, get people to stop talking about even the possibility of military setbacks” 
1:02- 1:30
The government clampdown was wide-reaching. On day two of the military campaign, Delhi ordered X to block around 8,000 accounts in India, including international news outlets. 
1:14- 1;33
And it is not just the media that’s been affected. This prominent Muslim academic, Ali Khan Mahmudabad, was arrested for this post on Facebook.  
In it, Mahmudabad warned against extreme nationalist sentiment and calls for all-out war.  
He also accused the ruling party of encouraging hate-mongering. 
1:33-1:42
Two people with links to the ruling BJP party filed police complaints. They accused him of promoting disharmony, which is a crime in India. 
1:43- 1:46
The incident has sent shockwaves through academic circles.  
ATMO (English) 1:46-2:00 
Adil: Tell us what is problematic in this post? 
+++ SOT
Ajay Gudavarthy, Associate Professor JNU, New Delhi
I have re-read with you Adil. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this post. He is making a very common sensical point that war is not good, poor die during war, mostly suffer. 
2:01-2:05 
For Gudavarthy, this arrest is part of a larger campaign targeting academics.  
Ajay Gudavarthy, Associate Professor JNU, New Delhi (English) 
2:06- 2:34
 “By and large academia is silent. People are scared even to talk even in hushed up voices, which is what this government wants. Even in personal conversation today, the situation is that, if you ask a colleague an opinion on something, he or she may not come out with his opinion. Forget in public, even in personal communication this has now seeped into personal communication. Academics are scared to speak.” 11:30 
2:34- 2:38
But a spokesperson for the BJP, denies there’s any suppression of dissent in India. 
Shazia Ilmi, BJP Spokesperson 
+++ SOT (English) 2:39-3:05 
 “Indian goverment is not cracking down on any criticism. Everybody is free to do what they please. There is international media, there is national media, there is our own the largest opposition party, Congress party, who keeps asking questions. That is for everybody to see. To make up the story and to unnecessarily create this myth that Indian government – Indian government can’t crackdown because it is not possible. These are times of social media.“ 4:
3:05- 3:22
The international watchdog, Reporters without Borders has condemned what it calls the censorship of independent news outlets by the Modi government. It now ranks India 151 out of 180 countries in its latest world press freedom index.