Srinagar, October 20: CPI (M) leader, Yousuf Tarigami has said the decision of Jammu and Kashmir administration to seal the Srinagar office of Kashmir Times, one of the oldest newspapers published from the region, without any justification is a brazen attempt to muzzle the freedom of press which is highly unfortunate.

According to a statement , Tarigami said the sealing of Kashmir Times office is nothing but vendetta politics and an attempt to suppress the dissenting voices in the region.

It seems the administration is targeting the Kashmir Times for being critical to the government’s policies since last year, he added.

“Media is the fourth pillar of democracy and importantly as equally as three other pillars. Overtly and covertly media persons have been pressurized in Kashmir for long, but since August 5 last year, attempts to muzzle the freedom of press by the authorities have been on rise,” Tarigami said.

“The media is being bullied and harassed to prevent them from performing their legitimate professional duties. Local media has been coerced so that the newspapers become government gazettes. The challenges and hardships for journalists have multiplied since last August”.