IJU condemns cases against journos in UP, Haryana

NEW DELHI, Sep 10: The Indian Journalists Union (IJU) has expressed grave concern over journalists being repeatedly harassed and targeted by the BJP governments in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
Recently, two new fresh cases were reported – a journalist arrested in UP’s Azamgarh district, and an FIR lodged against a journalist in Uklana district of Haryana.
In a statement, IJU acting president Geetartha Pathak and secretary-general Sabina Inderjit said targeting of journalist by governments “revealed their intolerance to the truth and curtailment of the citizens’ right to be informed. Worse, to cover their misdeeds their administrations are implicating journalists instead, as revealed in these cases.”
In UP, the Azamgarh police arrested Santosh Jaiswal last Friday for taking pictures and videos of children mopping floors at the primary school in Oodupur. While Jaiswal is said to have called the police to complain against the school, the latter instead arrested him on charges of ‘extortion and obstructing public servants from doing their duties.’
The arrest comes a week after an FIR was filed against Pawan Jaiswal for reporting children in a Mirzapur school eating chapatis and salt in their midday meal. Likewise, in Haryana, the Uklana district police filed an FIR on Friday against Anop Kundhu of STV Haryana news, The Voice News, for showing wheat spoiled in the open at the centre of the food & supplies department.
The IJU has demanded that the cases against the two journalists be withdrawn, and that the media in these states be allowed to carry out their rightful duty without any fear or favour.