Writing about workers’ rights and reporting on labor issues is part of journalism, not a crime in a democracy, the Press Club of India said. File | Photo credit: PTI
The Press Club of India (PCI) on Friday (May 15, 2026) condemned the Uttar Pradesh police’s decision to invoke the National Security Act (NSA) against Satyam Verma, editor of Mazdoor Bigul Dasta, on charges of instigating the recent labor protests in Noida.
The PCI urged the UP government to withdraw its action against Mr. Verma and release the senior journalist from detention, saying the UP police approached the NSA after nearly a month of his arrest.
“A provision of the draconian law was also invoked against activist Akriti Chauhan. Mr. Verma, a former Lucknow bureau chief of the United News of India (UNI), and his magazine have consistently written about the problems faced by workers in the country, including those faced by the protesting workers in Noida,” it said.
“Writing about workers’ rights and reporting on labor issues is part of journalism, not a crime in a democracy. We strongly condemn the NSA’s abuse of a senior journalist. Mr. Verma was arrested on April 19 on charges of provoking workers in Noida to protest for higher wages and better working conditions,” PCI said.
It noted that Verma’s colleagues claimed that a large contingent of the UP police had also arrived at the magazine’s Delhi office to intimidate them.
“In 2021, an Indian Express report claimed that the Allahabad High Court marked 94 out of 120 habeas corpus petitions invoked by the NSA, indicating that the law had been misused by investigative agencies,” he added.
Published – 15 May 2026 22:25 IST
