Press Club Of India Condemns Assault On Photojournalists By Delhi Police (Image: X/@wnca_s)

Photojournalists covering the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) protests faced harassment from the Delhi Police on Tuesday, leading to an altercation between members of the press and law enforcement officers. The incident occurred as photojournalists attempted to capture images of AAP leaders protesting the arrest of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

During the exchange, Salman Ali, a photojournalist with the Hindustan Times, sustained injuries, fracturing his elbow. Recounting the incident, Mr. Ali stated that the police behaved aggressively towards members of the media, with one officer even grabbing a fellow photojournalist”s collar.

In response to the incident, the Press Club of India issued a statement condemning the assault on photojournalists by the Delhi Police.

They emphasised the importance of journalists” role in covering political protests and denounced any form of assault on media personnel.

The statement read: “It is the job of reporters and photojournalists to cover political protests. As such, photojournalists who were assaulted by Delhi Police were merely doing their job.”

The Press Club of India also demanded a high-level inquiry by a retired judge into the incident to ensure that the aggrieved photojournalists receive justice and can perform their professional duties without fear of police brutality.

They stated: “The Press Club of India demands a high-level inquiry by a retired judge into the highhandedness of Delhi police so that the aggrieved photojournalists get justice and are able to do their professional work without facing police brutality.”

Additionally, the statement called for the immediate suspension of the assaulting police officers and personnel identified in the images, stating: “The Press Club of India demands their immediate suspension while the inquiry is on.”