Srinagar: The Indian Journalists Union (IJU) on Friday condemned the “pre-meditated” police attack on the photo journalists in Srinagar on Thursday.
In a statement issued here, SN Sinha, President, Sabina Inderjit, Vice President, Amar Devulapalli, Secretary-General of Indian Journalists Union (IJU) and K Amarnath, Member, Press Council of India (PCI) alleged that police attacked the photo journalists to frighten the journalists in Jammu and Kashmir from covering anything not to the liking of the ruling and the security establishments in the state.
The IJU statement said “We strongly feel that the attack on photo journalists on Thursday when they went to cover the press conference of a separatist leader, was pre-meditated and meant to send a strong signal to the media that any reportage contrary to the establishment point of view would be dealt with sternly. We are alarmed to note that a police officer threatened the photo journalists that he would shoot them down.
“We demand that the state government should take stringent action against the police officers who sought to muzzle the press and take steps to create a situation where media can function freely and discharge its duty to the citizens by providing information on the happenings in the state.
“The IJU has already referred the matter to Press Council of India (PCI) for urgently taking up the matter suo motu and initiate action to protect the freedom of media in the state which is going through volatile situation. We assure the press fraternity in Jammu and Kashmir that we would extend our continued and unstinted support for a fair, free and independent media in the state,” the IJU statement added.
