Media organisations globally, including India, have deplored the takeover of the Kashmir Press Club in Srinagar by a group of journalists who raided the precincts on Saturday with the support of armed police. This development occurs just a month before fresh elections being held in the Held Valley on Feb 15.
Media representatives have termed the forced takeover as a coup, which took place on the pretext of Covid lockdown ordered by the government at the weekend.
The Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) has expressed its “dismayed at the government move to close the Press Club of Kashmir”.
The DUJ statement said the authorities had renewed the licence of the Kashmir Press Club on Dec 29 after the issue had hung fire for months. Once the renewal notice was received, the Press Club belatedly announced elections.
The DUJ also lambasted arbitrary and unabated arrests, detentions and questioning of journalists in Kashmir.
“On Jan 5, Sajad Gul, a trainee journalist with Kashmir Walla, was arrested for (allegedly) fomenting anti-government feelings. Last year Salman Shah and Suhail Dar were arrested for ‘breach of peace’. Journalist Aasif Sultan has been in jail since Aug 27, 2018, and awaits trial.”
The Delhi-based Press Club of India slammed the takeover.
Former Kashmir chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti expressed their shock over the ‘coup’ by some journalists supported by the official machinery.
Taking to Twitter, National Conference Vice President Omar wrote: “There is no government this `journalist’ hasn’t sucked up to & no government he hasn’t lied on behalf of. I should know, I’ve seen both sides very closely. Now he’s benefited from a state-sponsored coup.”
