Achi news desk-
GUWAHATI: The Press Club of India has strongly condemned the recent attack on photojournalists by the Delhi Police while covering the public protests led by Aam Aadmi Party workers demanding the release of Arvind Kejriwal. Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21, sparking widespread protests across Delhi.
According to reports from the Labor News Photographers Union, disturbing footage has emerged depicting senior police officers engaging in unruly behavior, including grabbing press photographers by the throat and issuing threats. Among the victims of this aggression were veteran professionals like India Today Group’s Arun Thakur, with over two decades of experience, who was reportedly subjected to threatening strangulation. Another photojournalist, Salman Ali of Hindustan, suffered a fractured elbow in the ensuing chaos.
Click here to join our WhatsApp channel
The Press Club of India stressed that the journalists who were attacked were simply fulfilling their duty to cover political protests, and any form of violence against them was unacceptable. The Press Club emphasized the fundamental right to freedom of the press, as the Supreme Court has emphasized on many occasions, and emphasized the need for police awareness of the limits of freedom of speech and expression.
In a recent Supreme Court citation dated March 12, 2024, the Press Club of India expressed concern over the Delhi Police’s apparent disregard for the judiciary’s directives on upholding constitutional freedoms.
Also Read: US pushes India for ‘fair and transparent’ legal process for Kejriwal
In light of the serious incident, the Press Club of India has called for a high-level inquiry by a retired judge into the conduct of the Delhi Police. The press club demands the immediate suspension of the police officers and those involved in the attack pending the results of the investigation, to ensure justice for the injured journalists and to preserve their ability to perform their professional duties without fear of police brutality.
