Petition filed against Rajasthan government's gag order

Stirring controversy, the Vasundhara Raje government has brought a new law, that states public servants, including lawmakers, ministers and officials can only be probed after receiving government's consent, media reports said.

Following the allegations against any public servant, the government will decide within six months whether the particular case is worthy to be probed or not.

If the government fails to decide within six months time, it is bound to be sanctioned.

The petition, filed on Monday, stated the new order will invite the criminals to commit crime.

The Editors Guild of India has also expressed deep regret over the new order passed by the Raje government.

Urging the government to withdraw the order, the Guild was quoted by the Times Of India: "The ordinance, promulgated by the state government in September, was ostensibly done to protect the judiciary and the bureaucracy against false FIRs."

"But, in reality it is a pernicious instrument to harass the media, hide wrongful acts by government servants and drastically curb the freedom of the press guaranteed by the Constitution of India... Rather than taking stern measures to prevent and punish those who indulge in... false litigation, the Rajasthan government has passed an ordinance that is bent on bludgeoning the messenger" the Guild said.

Image: Facebook/@VasundhraRajeOfficial