Covering a protest march on the first death anniversary of University of Hyderabad (UoH) scholar Rohith Vemula, two journalists of InUth.com, a youth site of Indian Express group, were roughed by police officials. The journalists were covering the protest march organised by the All India Students Association (AISA) at Mandi House, to mark the death anniversary of the PhD scholar, who committed suicide on January 17, last year, alleging victimisation by the university authorities.
One of the journalist of InUth.com, Saptoparno Ghosh, was quoted by Indian Express saying, “Even though I kept shouting that I’m a journalist, the cops dragged me to the police van, kicking me at the same time. They also dragged my female colleague to the bus.”
While the other journalist Zainab Ahmed was released after showing her ID card, Ghosh was kept stuck and allowed to go after a while. The journalists further claimed that their mobile phones and other euipments were also damaged during the clash.
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A release by Sucheta De and Sandeep Saurav of AISA, it was stated, “In the last one year the Modi government not only ignored the demand for a Rohith Act to make caste based discrimination in universities a cognisable offence.”
Further claiming that similar incidence of violence was also witnessed in Kolkata, where also AISA organized protest march, the release stated, “Hundreds of paramilitary forces were deployed at Mandi House to unleash violence on those who participated in Insaaf March in Delhi today. JNUSU president Mohit along with other activists were brutally thrashed.”