New Delhi: Opposition members on August 2 accused the government in the Lok Sabha of harassing media persons, which failed to toe its line, and said the arrest of journalist Iftikhar Gilani and "fabricated" case against a Tehelka reporter were indicative of the trend.

Raising the issue during zero hour, Hannan Mollah of Congress Party of India-Marxist (CPM) said Gilani has been arrested under Official Secrets Act for allegedly possessing some secret information, which was freely available on the Internet. Recalling that Press Council has also commented adversely in the matter, he wanted Gilani to be released.

His party colleague A K Premajam said the cancellation of the accreditation of a journalist who had written on the Prime Minister showed that Right to information was under attack.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh alleged that a reporter of the Tehelka portal was being involved in a "fabricated" case while government has launched several cases against the financer of the website. "The whole thing is shameful and reminiscent of emergency", he said.

PTI