Srinagar, Sep 27: The President of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mehbooba Mufti, on Monday wrote to the Press Council of India and Editors Guild of India – the two top journalism bodies in the country, pointing out “intimidation, snooping and harassment of journalists in Kashmir”. She has demanded that a fact-finding team be sent to probe these allegations.
In the letter addressed to the secretary of the Press Council of India, Mufti writes that raids were conducted by Jammu and Kashmir police at homes of several journalists in Kashmir earlier this month.
“Personal items such as electronic gadgets including phones & laptops were illegally seized along with ATM cards and passports of their spouses. This comes close on the heels of the harrowing experiences that the journalist community in Jammu and Kashmir has been subject to post the abrogation of Article 370 by the Indian government,” she adds.
Mufti also points out that in a democratic set up, “a free and independent press is crucial and essential for government institutions to function in a transparent manner with due accountability towards its citizens. We have witnessed the manner in which fundamental rights such as freedom of speech and expression enshrined in the Indian constitution have increasingly come under attack especially in the last two years by a hostile & insecure dispensation.”
Mufti wirtes that the “unwarranted harassment of journalists has become a norm and this policy has been implemented by raiding their homes, summoning and interrogating them on frivolous grounds such as innocuous tweets, conducting background checks of journalists and their family members by CID, withdrawal of benefits including accommodation of some senior journalists, seizure of mobile phones, laptops, confiscating passports , ATM cards etc.”
In the past two years, several journalists have been summoned, detained or booked by the police over various charges. In a recent report, two journalists were detained at the airport in Delhi, disallowing them from flying abroad.
The letter points out that 23 journalists have been put on ECL. (Exit control list). Even students who bag scholarships in prestigious colleges in top universities of world not allowed to go study there. Recently a student was deboarded from a plane,arrested and subsequently released.
Meanwhile, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Monday held a protest in Kashmir capital Srinagar against what they say curbs on freedom of press, ‘harassment of Kashmiri people’, dismissal of government of employees and other issues.
Eyewitnesses told news agency Kashmir News Trust that scores of leaders led by senior leader Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura assembled outside PDP’s headquarters in Srinagar. The leaders took out a march and proceeded towards Polo View, however, they were stopped by police that disallowed them to proceed towards city centre Lal Chowk.
The protesting leaders were carrying placards that read, ‘stop harassment’, ‘restore freedom of press’, ‘stop arbitrary detentions’, ‘release political prisoners’, ‘stop implementing new laws in Jammu and Kashmir’ and ‘reinstate Anganwari workers.’
(With inputs from Kashmir Scroll and KNT)