Photojournalists covering the Aam Aadmi Party protests were harassed by the Delhi Police on Tuesday. The matter escalated between members of the press and police forces as photojournalists were attempting to click pictures of AAP leaders protesting Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest.
Salman Ali, a photojournalist with the Hindustan Times, was injured during the exchange, fracturing his elbow. Mr. Ali told The Hindu that there was heavy police force, and they were misbehaving with members of the media, going to the extent of grabbing a fellow photojournalist’s collar.
A union of photojournalists reached the Delhi police commissioner’s office to register complaints against the incident but were unable to meet him. However, they have sought time to speak to the commissioner about the matter.
Press Club of India, in a statement, condemned the act and demanded a high-level enquiry by a retired judge into what it called the “high-handedness of the Delhi Police”.
Expressing shock over the incident, the Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) said it was not the first time that the Delhi Police had targeted the media to prevent the coverage of protests. “We urge the Election Commission and the Union Home Ministry to act against the erring police officers. We ask the media companies to ensure that safety gear is provided to their reporters, photographers and other staff who are on the ground to cover protests and police actions. We also demand proper risk insurance for journalists and their equipment,” said the DUJ.
The PCI said: “From the pictures it’s clear that senior police officers grabbed the throat of Mr. Arun Thakur from the India Today group – who has been in the profession for more than two decades – in the most threatening manner. Another photojournalist, Salman Ali of Hindustan, fractured his elbow in the melee triggered by the Delhi Police. Any form of assault on journalists and photojournalists is totally unacceptable.”
