Attack at court: Journalists hold protest march; slam 'police inaction'

NEW DELHI: Hundreds of journalists today held a protest march against the attack on mediapersons covering the hearing of a sedition case in which the JNU students' union president has been arrested and demanded that the culprits be brought to book.

The scribes, representing various journalist bodies, took out a march from the Press Club to the Supreme Court raising slogans in support of freedom of expression and against alleged police inaction during the incident yesterday.

A delegation of journalists also met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and sought a thorough probe into the incident and strict action against those involved in the assault at the Patiala House Court Complex.

The journalists questioned the "silence of police" over the attack on students and scribes and dubbed it an insult to the judiciary as the incident took place inside a court complex.

Journalists, students and teachers of JNU were beaten up allegedly by groups of lawyers, drawing criticism from the press amidst calls for the Home Ministry to look into the "dereliction of duty" by police, which has been accused of being a "mute spectator" during the incident.

The journalist bodies said it was a matter of "great concern" that attacks on mediapersons are "going up".

Police have said two FIRs have been registered against unnamed persons in connection with the attack.