Heckled, pushed by cops on way back from violence-hit Karauli, allege 2 journalists

Two journalists have alleged that they were heckled and manhandled by Rajasthan police on Friday while they were leaving after reporting the recent communal violence in Karauli.

Authorities had imposed a curfew in Karauli in the wake of violence following a bike rally by Hindutva organisations such as the VHP and Bajrang Dal in an area with a heavy population of Muslims. Around 35 people were injured in violence, according to PTI. However, the curfew conditions were later relaxed from 9 am to 12 noon.

On Friday, Ahmed Kasim, associated with Clarion India, and Ghazala Ahmad, linked to The Cognate, said that they were leaving Karauli after finishing their reporting assignment when police personnel present at one of the gates allegedly “pushed” them.

In a video they posted on Twitter, Ghazala can be heard telling the policemen: “You can’t push us. You are here to do your jobs, and so are we. We are not roaming around, we are here to work.”

At this point, one of the four police personnel seen on camera starts recording a video on his phone as Ghazala pleads that “we were here when the curfew restrictions were lifted”.

Ahmed says that the administration is “harassing us, they are asking us to get a permission from the DM even though we have his permission”. A police official then says the permission was only till 12. “We were leaving only,” says Ghazala, asking the police to let the two of them leave the spot.

Hours later, both Ahmad and Ghazala tweeted that they had safely managed to leave the area.

This report will be updated once the police authorities respond to the allegations.