MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th July, 2020) The International Federation of Journalists (IFG) on Friday expressed concerns over recent attacks on two journalists in India and called for a thorough probe into the separate incidents.
On July 20, journalist Rajiv Nayan Bahuguna, who works for a spree of Indian dailies, was violently beaten in the northern state of Uttarakhand. Prior to that, he received "threatening messages from unknown numbers," according to the IFG. The reporter is a critic of a Hindu nationalist paramilitary group and the ruling Indian People's Party. The next day, BBC correspondent Dilnawaz Pasha was "abused" by law enforcement officers at a police station in Uttar Pradesh. He is said to have come there to collect information for a report, but "as soon as he asked questions, police confiscated his phone, detained him for six hours and allegedly mistreated him during his detention," according to the journalistic union. After he finally managed to show his ID, they offered him apologies.
"The IFJ calls on the Indian government to launch an investigation into the attack on Rajiv Nayan Bahuguna and ensure police act in a responsible manner that prioritises the rights of citizens and journalists," the association said.
The Indian Journalists' Union, in turn, warned that "increasing attacks on media freedom and media rights in the country may endanger democracy and freedom of expression and press."
