Uttar Pradesh (UP) State Accredited Correspondent Committee (UPSACC) expressed its strong resentment during the press briefing of the Home Department at media Centre before Home Secretary Dipak Kumar and ADG (Law and Order) Mr Brij Lal over police attack on the Kanpur office of the Hindustan Times and Dainik Hindustan, illegal detention of the mother of Yashwant Singh, Editor, Bhadas4media.com, at Nandganj Police Station of Ghazipur District, and no action taken against Imam Bukhari who thrashed a journalist in police presence during his press conference. Mr Brij Lal assured action in all the three issues raised at this meet. Read more
Terming such incident as cowardly, unlawful and unbridled act of terror to curb freedom of press which is duty bound to inform its readers true and correct state of affairs, the President of the UPSACC Hisamul Islam Siddiqui, Vice President Mudit Mathur and Secretary Yogesh appealed to the journalists to act in solidarity with the journalists' fraternity who are committed to bring out the truth before public despite pressures from all the corners.
The UPSACC officers expressed displeasure that Lucknow Maulana Bukhari and his supporters who abused, threatened and thrashed a journalist at a press conference in police presence and despite criminal offence duly registered against him, were allowed to go scot-free and no action was taken against them.
Now in Kanpur the police themselves attack the Hindustan Times office, stopped distribution of newspapers, detained staff and seized their vehicles. Journalists working in the field feel helpless due to indifferent attitude of their Unions, Editors and Proprietors which is enhancing threat to freedom of expression in our civil society.
The third incident reported from Ghazipur District where mother of the Editor of Bhadas4Media.com Yashwant Singh was unlawfully detained whole night without any fault. It is really painful to see institutions like Press Council of India, National Human Right Commission and National Women Commission are silent on such issues concerning freedom of the press and a common citizen. Such incidents are posing great threat to the democracy as well as independence of journalism that is in peril in Uttar Pradesh where no journalist could seek an interview with the Chief Minister due to apparent bureaucratic censorship, said a UPSACC communiqué.
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