Srinagar, Jan 22 : Former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday expressed serious concern over what she described as the deteriorating dignity of journalists in Kashmir, alleging harassment, selective accreditation and silence on the part of the elected government.
Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, Mehbooba Mufti said there was widespread expectation that an elected government would raise and resolve issues faced by the people, including those confronting journalists. However, she alleged that senior journalists were being harassed while the government, led by Omar Abdullah, remained silent.
She claimed that journalists who build the narrative of the government are being groomed, while accreditation and advertisements are selectively given to those who toe the official line. She said the government’s silence on these issues was deeply troubling, adding that media plays a vital role in society.
Referring to her tenure as chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti said she had provided a press club to journalists, but alleged that it now resembled a jail. She further claimed that journalists who filed reports related to mosque profiling were summoned to police stations, creating an atmosphere of fear within the media fraternity.
The PDP chief said Omar Abdullah recently met Union Home Minister Amit Shah but did not raise the issues of journalists or mosque profiling during the meeting. She termed it ironic that even the newspapers represented by the affected journalists remained silent for three days over the matter.
Mehbooba Mufti said people had hoped that an elected government would represent public concerns, but alleged that it had chosen silence, particularly on issues related to accreditation and government advertisements being granted to select newspapers.
She urged the police to consider the helplessness of journalists who are summoned for questioning and appealed to the Chief Minister to intervene and stop the practice of calling respected journalists. She also called for safeguarding the dignity of journalists, stating that they represent society and should not be subjected to intimidation. [KNT]
