PCI condemns police action against journalists at UNI premises

New Delhi:  The Press Club of India (PCI) on Saturday expressed deep shock and condemned the manhandling of journalists by Delhi Police and CRPF personnel at the United News of India (UNI) premises during the sealing of the news agency premises at Rafi Marg, following a court order related to a land dispute.

In a statement, the PCI said several journalists, including women employees, were forcibly removed from their workplace by Delhi Police and CRPF personnel on Friday evening and were not even allowed to collect their personal belongings.

The PCI termed the force action as “unacceptable”.

Calling the action highhanded, the PCI said the right to work is a constitutional guarantee, stressing that authorities should have exercised restraint, especially as journalists had indicated that the management had not yet formally communicated any directive to vacate the premises after the court order issued just hours earlier.

The PCI said it stands firmly with the affected journalists, urging authorities to take prompt action against those responsible for the alleged misconduct, stressing that such steps are essential to restore confidence within the media fraternity and uphold press freedom in a democratic society.

Meanwhile, Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala also condemned the police action, describing it as an “appalling assault on independent journalism” and a direct attack on democracy’s fourth pillar.

Surjewala told media that more than 300 police personnel were deployed to forcibly evict journalists from the UNI premises, adding that media personnel were subjected to scuffles and humiliation during the overnight operation.

He accused the BJP-led government of creating an atmosphere where independent and fearless journalism has no space, warning that such actions send a chilling message to media organisations across the country.

Citing India’s rank of 151 out of 180 countries in the global Press Freedom Index, he alleged growing pressure on media houses through agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax Department and the CBI.

Referring to past instances, Surjewala mentioned actions involving organisations such as NDTV, the BBC and The Quint, as well as cases concerning journalists including Prannoy Roy, Gauri Lankesh, Siddique Kappan, Vinod Dua, Mohammed Zubair, Rajdeep Sardesai and Rupesh Kumar Singh, alleging a pattern of intimidation against those critical of the government.

He further cautioned that targeting a media organisation could set a precedent for similar action against others, naming agencies and channels such as ANI, IANS, TV9, Public TV, News18 and Udayavani.

Calling on journalists and media organisations to reflect on the situation, Surjewala said the developments raise serious concerns about the future of democracy in the country.