Journalist
A senior journalist with Dainik Jagran, an Indian Hindi-language daily newspaper, was assaulted by members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after questioning the party’s response to a recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, located in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
The incident took place during a BJP protest in Kathua, IIOJK, where 58-year-old journalist Rakesh Sharma was covering the event.
Sharma, who has worked for years in the journalism field, asked BJP leaders about security lapses related to the terror attack that had claimed 26 lives. His inquiry—“Till when will you keep burning effigies of Pakistan? This is also a security lapse”—appears to have triggered the violent response.
Eyewitnesses who recorded the incident on their phones captured the shocking footage, which quickly spread across social media. In the videos, Sharma is seen being kicked, chased, and physically assaulted by BJP workers.
Among the assailants were Himanshu Sharma, who allegedly called the journalist “anti-national,” and Ravinder Singh, who was seen beating the reporter.
Following the assault, the police in Kathua filed a case under sections 191 and 115 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against five BJP workers involved in the attack.
However, Sharma claimed that he was denied a copy of the First Information Report (FIR) and had to visit the police station wearing only a vest after his clothes were torn in the attack.
The incident occurred in the presence of three BJP Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) – Devender Maniyal, Bharat Bhushan, and Rajiv Jasrotia. Despite being present, none of the MLAs intervened during the attack.
While Bhushan later called the assault “unfortunate,” Jasrotia confirmed Ravinder Singh’s involvement in the assault and stated that he had raised the issue with the BJP leadership.
Following the attack, Sharma was hospitalized due to injuries and underwent medical tests, as he experienced difficulty urinating as a result of the assault. The assault sparked outrage and drew condemnation from local press organizations.
In response, over 30 journalists in Kathua staged a protest, wearing black bands and announcing a boycott of BJP-related coverage. Harpreet Singh, the general secretary of the Kathua Press Club, emphasized that such an attack could happen to any journalist merely asking tough questions to the government.
As of now, the BJP has not issued an official statement regarding the incident, leaving the matter unresolved and raising concerns about press freedom in the region.
