Srinagar, Apr 27: The police assault on Greater Kashmir correspondent, Gowhar Bhat, has come in for severe condemnation from different groups.
 Police had severely beaten Gowhar Bhat on Monday at Lal Chowk here while he was performing his professional duty.
 Reporters Without Borders condemned the police action in strongest terms, saying “The policemen responsible for this gratuitous violence against a journalist must be punished.”
 Condemning the assault, the Jama’at-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir termed it a fascist act by police to curb the freedom of press.
 In a statement today, the Jama’at spokesman demanded stringent and deterrent action against the erring police personnel after a thorough probe by some impartial agency.
 Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, while condemning the assault on media men at Lal Chowk, has termed it a demonstration of ‘state terrorism.’ “The assault is tantamount to gagging the press,” said a spokesman of Front in a statement today.
 The Front has prayed for the speedy recovery of injured media men in the assault.
 Condemning the attack, MLA Langate Er. S A Rashid termed it “a manifestation of absolute and unaccountable powers given to police.”
 In a statement today, Rashid while vehemently castigating the police atrocity on journalists said, “This police brutality in the heart of the city signifies how the errant men in uniform traumatize common people in rural and far flung areas of Kashmir.”  He regretted that government including police took full advantage of media to propagate its view-point and policies, “but the same media-men are shabbily treated by the very same organs of the government.”  He demanded the chief minister should ensure that journalists and common people are not brutalized by his police force. “The policemen responsible for thrashing journalists should be brought to justice,” Rashid said.
 Expressing serious concern over the assault on journalists, the Employees’ Joint Action Committee (Q) president Abdul Qayoom Wani termed it most unfortunate. “Such deplorable action by the police has no place in a democratic setup. Press is the fourth pillar of democracy and any attempt to muzzle it is tantamount to demolishing the whole edifice of democracy,” he said, urging the government to bring the erring cops to justice.
 The Jammu Kashmir Salvation Movement chairman Zaffar Akbar Bhat has strongly condemned the police action against media men, terming it an assault on the freedom of press. “When police can do this much with the people associated with the noble and respectable profession of journalism, how can common people expect any concession from government armed forces,” he said, according to a statement.
 The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (R) senior vice-chairman, Javid Ahmad Mir, has strongly condemned the violent police action against media men.
 The Srinagar City Citizens Forum, at a meeting today, expressed serious concern over the police assault on journalists, terming it a reprehensible act. It has demanded action against the erring policemen.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 27 Apr 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 27 Apr 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 28 Apr 2010 00:00:00 IST