Srinagar, August 17: Several politicians and political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have condemned the police lathicharge on journalists during a Muharram procession in Srinagar.
As the media personnel, mostly photo and video journalists, were discharging their professional duties, police swung into action and lathicharged them, the scribes said, as per news agency PTI.
They said the policemen, armed with batons, also thrashed some of the journalists and caused damage to their equipment.
The pictures and the videos of the incident were uploaded on various social media forums as the journalists protested the police action.
A senior police officer reached the spot and assured the journalists that they would look into the matter.
Kashmir Press Photographers Association (KPPA) condemned the use of force by police.
“Very unfortunate to see J&K police personnel mercilessly thrashing journalists in Srinagar. These people were simply doing their jobs – reporting the news. They don’t make the news & they don’t engineer events to create the story. I hope @OfficeOfLGJandK will ensure no repeat,” tweeted former J&K chief minister and NC Working President Omar Abdullah.
He’s an independent photo-journalist. His camera is his livelihood. The administration owes it to Sajad to compensate him for the loss he has suffered while working. https://t.co/A985wxPPx8
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) August 17, 2021
“He’s an independent photo-journalist. His camera is his livelihood. The administration owes it to Sajad to compensate him for the loss he has suffered while working,” he said while quoting a tweet.
The “merciless” beating of journalists is highly condemnable, said the Peoples Conference. “We express serious concern over such repeated acts of use of force on the media fraternity without any accountability. Surprisingly the upholders of the law are out to demolish the founding principles of law,” the party said, in a tweet.
Apni Party Senior Vice President Ghulam Hassan Mir on Tuesday termed the thrashing of media persons who were covering Muharram procession at Jahangir Chowk as undemocratic and uncalled for incident.
In a statement issued here, Mir said the media is the fourth pillar of democracy and the coverage of routine happenings is a part of their professional obligation that must not be dissuaded with the use of force or any sort of intimidation.
“Today’s incident in which journalists allege that they were thrashed by police while doing their duty is extremely unwarranted. These journalists were performing their usual professional duties. These kinds of occurrences need to be stopped as it taints democratic ethos of our country,” he said.
Mir urged the government to put a check on the use of power and order restraint in order to avoid hurting the innocent people who are in the line of their duty.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti also took to Twitter to highlight the issue.
Media is spending hours debating the human tragedy & unfolding crisis in Afghanistan but will they speak up for their own community in Kashmir who were beaten to pulp today by security forces for doing their job? Mufti tweeted.
The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) termed the thrashing of media persons as unfortunate .
Media is fourth pillar of democracy and the routine coverage as part of its professional obligation must be allowed, they should not be intimated while performing their duties, the party said in a statement.
JKPCC feels disappointed over the thrashing of mediapersons, who were covering Muharram procession and expresses its full solidarity with the media fraternity, it said.
The party urges the government to ensure that mediapersons are allowed to perform their duties, without any fear, it added.
“Thrashing of journalists/media persons by police for doing their job is #unfortunate& #Shameful. Any attempt to curb the freedom of press is #unacceptable. Authorities should ensure no such incident is repeated.Sympathies with the journalist fraternity,” said Qayoom Wani.