Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Mar 16: Police today disallowed a joint press conference of separatist leaders, including the chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference, and took them into custody. And two Photojournalists who were covering the event, were allegedly assaulted by the police.
The separatist leaders including Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yaseen Malik were scheduled to hold a joint press conference at Geelani’s residence in Hyderpora here but police did not allow Mirwaiz and Malik to enter into Geelani’s residence.
Police took the trio into custody and did not allow the press conference. Before being taken away, the Hurriyat leaders called for the boycott of the by-polls to two Lok Sabha constituencies of Srinagar and Anantnag which are going to polls on April 9 and 12 respectively.
In the meantime, two photojournalists were allegedly assaulted by police after the Hurriyat leaders were taken into custody. They included AFP photographer Tawseef Mustafa and Mubashir Khan of Greater Kashmir.
Kashmir Press Photo Association condemned the attack on the two photojournalists and took out a protest march at Press Colony here demanding action against the police officials involved in the alleged assault.
Kashmir Editors Guild (KEG) strongly condemned the police action against newsmen.”The photographers, who are part of the highly dedicated and disciplined press corps, were waiting outside the venue and when the three leaders came out, and police started arresting them, they put their cameras on and started working. This was the time when cops deployed on the spot objected to their action and started marshalling them. There are clear photo and video evidences offering a clear detail of the police assault”, the KEG statement said.
KEG has taken a strong exception to the misuse of power for muzzling the media. “This has, unfortunately, been a routine than an exception. Last time, while photographers were covering an event in Bijbehara, cops actually fired a projectile on one of them outside the hospital gate, thus pushing him to hospital for many weeks for a broken arm”, the statement said.
The statement further said: “Given the frequency with which the police is abusing its authority to restrict the role and responsibility of the media, KEG is seeking an intervention of the Government at the highest level to ensure that State’s principal arm does not exhibit an abnormal growth.”
Follow our WhatsApp channel