TN Magazine Website Blocked, Row Erupts

The Magazine's Editor, T Murugan, Justified the Cartoon as a Valid Criticism and Symbol of Democratic Dissent

- KA Shaji

CHENNAI: Support poured in from different political and media circles for prominent Tamil magazine conglomerate, Vikatan, on Sunday, a day after the Centre allegedly blocked its website in response to a complaint filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president K Annamalai for carrying a cartoon showing Prime Minister Narendra Modi with chained hands and legs sitting before US president Donald Trump.

The cartoon featured in Vikatan's digital magazine, Vikatan Plus, aimed to comment on Modi's silence concerning the handcuffing and deportation of Indian immigrants by US authorities during his just concluded meeting with Trump.

The magazine's editor, T Murugan, justified the cartoon as a valid criticism and symbol of democratic dissent and said that the group will not yield its freedom to such threats and intimidations.

According to Murugan, there was no official order to block the website; it was an unofficial action. He stated that the magazine's management believes service providers such as Airtel and Jio were pressured to restrict access to the site, which appeared to be blocked around 7 pm on Saturday.

Murugan emphasised that the magazine, which has upheld free speech for nearly a century, is actively seeking clarification from the Union government on the reasons behind the restriction.