Six senior journalists of Kashmir were barred from covering R-Day function at Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium by the Jammu and Kashmir police on an ‘adverse report’ from Criminal Investigation Department (CID), a media report said Sunday.
“The Indian Express” reported that a letter by Security Wing of the state police signed by the Additional Superintendent of Police, Security, Kashmir, referred to a CID report which asked it to bar all the six journalists to cover the R-Day event at the venue.
The letter reads “The CID report in respect of below mentioned persons belonging to Media group have been found adverse and you are directed not to permit them inside the venue as their media cards for Republic Day 2019 treated as cancel.”
The letter named Mehraj-ud-Din and Umar Mehraj (father-sonduo), Bureau Chief and video journalist respectively of Associated Press Television (APTN), AFP photojournalist Tawseef Mustafa, ANI Bureau Chief Bilal Ahmad Bhat, Reuters photojournalist Danish Ismail Wani, and Daily Kashmir Uzma/Greater Kashmir photojournalist Aaman Farooq.
All six journalists are accredited with the Information Department of the J&K government. Soon after these journalists were denied entry to the venue, all journalists boycotted the Republic Day event. In the afternoon, journalists took out a rally in Srinagar to protest against the police action.
Additional Director General of Police, Security and Law & Order, Muneer Khan told The Sunday Express “Once this matter was brought to my notice, I sought a detailed report from SSP Security.” Jammu and Kashmir Editors Forum (JKEF) Saturday condemned the barring of the journalists from covering the main R-Day event in Srinagar.
