ITANAGAR, 13 Oct: The Indian Journalists Union (IJU) expresses serious concern over the detention of journalists and media personnel while they were covering the recent youth-led protests in New Delhi against alleged large-scale deletions of voters' names during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Reports that journalists from several media organisations were detained, pushed into police vehicles and taken to different locations despite displaying valid press identity cards are deeply disturbing. Such actions constitute an unwarranted interference with the professional duties of journalists and undermine the fundamental principles of press freedom and the public's right to information.
The IJU recognises the responsibility of the Delhi Police and the administration to maintain law and order during public demonstrations. However, the enforcement of law must not become a pretext for obstructing legitimate journalistic work. Journalists covering protests are not participants merely because they are present at the scene. Their responsibility is to report events independently, accurately and impartially in the public interest.
The IJU urges the Delhi Police and the administration to respect press freedom and ensure that journalists are allowed to discharge their professional duties without fear, intimidation or unnecessary restrictions. Once a journalist's identity has been verified through a valid press identity card or other appropriate credentials, there should be no justification for detaining or removing them merely for covering a demonstration.
The Union also calls upon the authorities to issue clear instructions to police personnel deployed at protest sites to distinguish between journalists performing their professional duties and individuals participating in demonstrations. Any restriction imposed on media personnel must be strictly necessary, lawful and proportionate, and must not be used to prevent the reporting of events of public importance.
The IJU is particularly concerned by reports of journalists being taken away from protest sites and transported to distant locations before being released. Such practices not only cause unnecessary harassment but also obstruct the timely coverage of important public events. Any allegations of assault, intimidation or deliberate obstruction of journalists must be impartially investigated, and accountability must be fixed wherever violations are established.
The Union further urges the authorities to uphold the constitutional freedoms of speech and expression and the public's right to know. A vibrant democracy requires that peaceful dissent be heard and that journalists remain free to report on the actions of the government, the police and protestors without interference.
The IJU calls upon the Delhi Police Commissioner and the concerned authorities to ensure that such incidents are not repeated and that all journalists detained while performing their professional duties are treated with dignity and their rights are respected.
Press freedom is not a privilege granted by the authorities; it is an essential pillar of democracy. Protecting journalists while they report on public protests is indispensable to ensuring transparency, accountability and the right of citizens to be informed.
