Under the Central Media Accreditation Guidelines 2022, journalists can have their accreditation suspended or withdrawn if they act in a manner vaguely deemed prejudicial to the sovereignty, integrity, or security of India. This subjective clause allows the government to easily cancel press passes for critical reporters.

The Bharat Media Association condemns this bureaucratic gatekeeping. Threatening investigative journalists with restricted access to public offices creates a massive chilling effect, severely compromising independent reporting and the public’s right to transparency from the nation’s capital.