Farmers' protest: Media bodies condemn arrest of journalists by Delhi police

NEW DELHI: Media bodies on Sunday condemned the police action against two journalists who were picked up during the farmers' protests at Delhi's Singhu border for allegedly misbehaving with police personnel.

They said that such crackdowns impinge on the media's right to report freely and interferes with its right to freedom of expression. Freelance journalist Mandeep Punia and Dharmender Singh (with Online News India) were detained by Delhi Police last evening for allegedly misbehaving with personnel on duty.

While Singh was later released, the police arrested Punia on Sunday. The Indian Women's Press Corps, Press Club of India and the Press Association demanded Punia's immediate release and said no journalist should be disturbed while carrying out their duties at any place.

"Such crackdowns impinge on the media's right to report freely and interferes with our right to freedom of expression, and freedom of the press as guaranteed by the Constitution of India," the bodies said in a joint statement.

They said that Punia has been reporting on the present farmers' agitation right from the beginning and his arrest "is part of the government crackdown on journalists to prevent them from doing their job independently and freely".

"Punia is a young freelance journalist who contributes to The Caravan and Junputh. The Delhi Police used brutal force while picking him up (on Saturday) and did not share his whereabouts to other media colleague entire night," the media bodies said.

They said the copy of the FIR against Punia was issued only this morning. Four IPC sections -- 186 (voluntarily obstructing public servant in discharge of his duties), 353 (assaulting or using criminal force on a public servant in execution of his duty), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant in the discharge of his duty) and 34 (acts done in furtherance to common intention) have been pressed against him, they said.

Police had earlier said they placed barricades at the border following the violence on Friday to ensure that no one could get through. However, some people including the journalist were trying to remove the barricades, the police had alleged, adding the scribe also misbehaved with the police personnel there.

On Friday, clashes broke out at Singhu border between farmers and a large group of men claiming to be local residents who hurled stones at each other.

The Singhu border is one of the main protest sites gainst the new farm laws. Delhi Police SHO (Alipur) was injured in the violence. At least 44 people, including the man who attacked the SHO, have been arrested in connection with the incident.