Democracy is synonymous with free speech. But India continues to witness attempts on the part of elected dispensations to muzzle the organs of free speech. A circular issued by the directorate of information and publicity department has threatened action against the media for publishing or airing content that is deemed defamatory against the state government or the Aam Aadmi Party, which is in power in Delhi. Earlier, in a petition submitted to the Supreme Court, Arvind Kejriwal had sought to challenge the constitutional validity of the laws that criminalize defamation. Reneging on pledges is a trait that is peculiar to politicians. So,Mr Kejriwal's enthusiasm to employ legal instruments to bludgeon the media critical of his government should not come as a surprise. That the circular goes against the spirit of the Constitution, which gives citizens the right to freedom of expression, rests lightly on the chief minister, who, during his days as an activist, had voiced his support for fairness and transparency. The threat of punishment has been dexterously combined with the promise of reward. "Good journalists", according to Mr Kejriwal, would be entitled to government aid. The chief minister's proposal to gag the media, on the one hand, and reward pliant scribes, on the other, undermines the faith of the electorate, which had delivered a resounding mandate in favour of a democratic government. Mr Kejriwal seems unaware of the fact that the apex court had struck down Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, which had been used to incarcerate dissenters for posting content that politicians often found 'objectionable'. Mr Kejriwal's political success has been attributed, in some quarters, to his portrayal in the media as a crusader who could make a difference. But his diktat against the fourth estate mirrors the worrisome phenomenon of political power transforming crusaders into authoritative leaders.

Perhaps Mr Kejriwal's anxiety stems from the fact that, in a democracy, the media are vested with the responsibility of holding a mirror up to the performance of elected governments. Mr Kejriwal's colleagues, some of whom are former journalists, would do well to remind him that democratic India, as the elections after Emergency had shown, has rejected political parties that chose to impose curbs on freedom.