The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government came under attack in the Kerala Assembly on Monday with the Opposition decrying the sustained assault on media freedom in the state that has over the last few days witnessed a series of incidents against one particular news channel.

The Congress-led United Democratic Front slammed the LDF government for targeting Asianet News over a report in which it had allegedly used a contentious video clip that has now become part of a police case based on a CPM lawmaker’s complaint to the state police chief.

Before walking out of the House over the denial of its adjournment motion to discuss the issue of media freedom, the Opposition shredded the ruling LDF and chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan for their intolerance to criticism and targeted attacks on the channel and its employees.

The police have named the channel’s executive editor Sindhu Sooryakumar, Kozhikode-based regional editor Shajahan Kaliyath and Kannur-based reporter Naufal Bin Yousaf in the FIR that cited sections from the penal code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act.

The Opposition lampooned the LDF for its doublespeak on the larger issue of media freedom and noted that Left leaders, including the chief minister, were vocal about the raids on the BBC office in the aftermath of the release of the documentary India: The Modi Question while they follow similar intolerance.

Congress lawmaker P.C. Vishnunath who moved the motion, which was disallowed, questioned the overzealousness of the CPM’s Students’ Federation of India (SFI) that trespassed into Asianet News office in Kochi on Friday.

“Why is the SFI protesting so much when it should be the drug mafia that should get worked up over the report?” Vishnunath asked, citing the protests against the news report on rampant drug abuse among minors.

The Opposition slammed the police raid at the channel’s Kozhikode regional office on Sunday and likened it to the intolerance of the Union government against media houses and journalists, and questioned the unusual alacrity in registering an FIR.

The case was booked on a complaint by CPM MLA P.V. Anvar, who accused the channel of spreading “fake news”.

In his reply, the chief minister justified the police case and said fabricating news was not journalism. “The government has not taken any action to curtail media freedom. This cannot be compared to the raids on the BBC office,” Vijayan told the Assembly.

“Media freedom is not the freedom to circulate untruths and it is not our policy to target media organisations that criticise us,” he said justifying the police action against the channel.

Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan slammed the government for its doublespeak and said what was happening in Kerala was no different from the action against BBC over its documentary.

“The government has every right to take action if the media commits a crime. But that right cannot be taken as a licence to target them,” he said, before leading the walkout.