'Detained Despite Showing Press ID': Police Crackdown on Media Amid CJP Protest
Several journalists were detained in Delhi today despite prominently displayed their press cards.
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Several journalists from organisations including The Quint, Scroll, Newslaundry, and Navbharat Times were detained today amid a police crackdown across Delhi on the day of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Several journalists were taken away despite showing their press cards.
The Quint journalist Sarthak Jaiswal was detained and taken to Chankyapuri Police Station earlier today.
Scroll reporter Ayush Tiwari was among those detained by Delhi Police near ITO. According to the outlet, Tiwari was not at the Jantar Mantar protest site, had prominently displayed his press card, and repeatedly told the police he was a journalist. Despite that, he was put in a van and taken away. He later posted that the police bus he was in nearly caught fire, and that he was no longer in detention.
Scroll Political Editor Shoaib Daniyal was later allegedly detained by the police near CR Park, which is nowhere near the protest site.
Three Newslaundry reporters—Ashwini Singh, Astha Savyasachi, and Anmol Pritam— were also detained while covering the protest. They were put on a bus with around 30 other protesters and journalists. The reporters said that their organisation's official phones were also seized. When they identified themselves as media personnel, the police allegedly told them, "Koi media nahi hai" (There is no media). The reporters were released sometime later.
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Earlier this week, the Delhi Police had released a set of guidelines for journalists covering the protests, noting that journalists should prominently display their press cards prominently. But journalists were detained today despite wearing and showing their press cards.
Navbharat Times journalists Hritik Joshi and Rahul Charas were detained while covering the protest as well, before being released by the police.
The attack extended beyond the protest site. Content creator Kavya Karnatac (KK Creates) was detained before reaching the protest site area. In a video posted on social media, she said their cab was stopped around 10 minutes after leaving their office, and they were pulled out and pushed into a bus. Karnatac said they were safe but had not been told where they were being taken, when they would arrive or why they had been detained.
Independent journalist Harsh Yadav posted a few videos on Instagram as well, where police were allegedly outside his hotel door and were asking him to come out. "If you don't have arrest orders for us you cannot take us outside," Yadav told the cops in the video. Molitics Deputy Editor Nivedita was also allegedly stopped by police from filming visuals of the detentions.
Independent journalists Shrishti Khanna and Prashant Pundar were also detained from Jantar Mantar. “We were there in the capacity of independent journalists, only documenting the protests. They are snatching journalists’ press cards too,” said Khanna. Reporter TV journalists Roshni Rajan and Farsa were also detained by Delhi Police.
The Committee to Protect Journalists’ Asia desk called on Delhi Police to immediately release all detained journalists and media workers, return their equipment, investigate reports of physical abuse, and allow the press to cover the protests and the police response without interference. In a post on X, CPJ said it was closely monitoring the situation and had confirmed the detentions.
“A free and independent press is essential to a democracy. Authorities must ensure the press can cover the ongoing protests in New Delhi and the police response without interference,” it said.