The World - News from Sept. 23, 1988

Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi withdrew a defamation bill that journalists and opposition politicians charged was an attempt at censorship. The bill, passed by the lower house of Parliament last month, provoked outrage. It sought to make libel a criminal offense and to reverse the burden of proof so that a defendant would have to show an offending statement to be true and in the public interest. Gandhi said he was dropping the bill because “it had aroused misapprehension and misgivings.” The government had said the legislation would protect people from irresponsible journalism. Newspapers maintained it was an attempt to muzzle the press after reports of alleged kickbacks involving government defense contracts.