Mumbai journalists condemn attack on media at Patiala House court

Journalists from the Mumbai Press Club, along with other media organisations like TV Journalists' Association, Bombay News Photographers Association among others, on Wednesday staged a protest to condemn the attack of journalists at New Delhi's Patiala House court.

Journalists carrying placards with messages like 'Stop Attack on Journalists!', 'Stop Shooting the Messenger', 'Arrest those goon lawyers', 'Arrest O P Sharma', 'Sack Delhi Police Commissioner. The march was followed by a protest meeting at The Press Club, Mumbai.

The journalists were protesting against the roughing up by a group of lawyers of journalists and students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University at the Patiala House Court complex.

The Patiala House courts here on Monday witnessed violence as a mob in lawyer's robes, slapped and kicked some media professionals, rival lawyers and supporters of JNU Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar.

The attacks began when Kumar was scheduled to appear before metropolitan magistrate Loveleen and continued for about 45 minutes during which whoever ran into the mob looking young and carrying a mobile was slapped, kicked and chased away from the premises.

Journalists and students bore the brunt of the violence, while the older men and women were intimidated by the mob. They were seen asking the police to ease out reporters and Mr. Kumar's supporters. First, the mob charged the atmosphere by shouting 'Pakistan Murdabad, Bharat Mata ki Jai'.

Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi on Wednesday downplayed criticism that the cops failed to protect JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar at the Patiala House Court complex, adding that extra precaution would be taken next time.

He refuted criticism that there was not enough police officers to take care of the situation. 

"You can't call that the situation at the Patiala House Court complex went out of hand. The accused was produced before the court notwithstanding a lot of crowd at the gate. We waded through the crowd; there was jostling and despite jostling this has been done. Now, we will use some other tactics when he is produced before the court next time he will be," said Bassi.