Majority of the Kashmir based journalists have expressed anguish over the illegal and arbitrary takeover of the Kashmir Press Club based in Srinagar by some journalists.
A joint statement by various journalistic bodies said that On 15 January the day when the administration had declared a weekend lockdown in view of Covid surge, some journalists barged into the club office and forcibly took control of the club by keeping the office members hostage.
Large number of Police and paramilitary personnel were deployed beforehand for this high condemnable and completely illegal move.
The administration, by allowing few disgruntled elements to hoodwink the Club constitution and flout all norms of law, has set a wrong and dangerous precedent.
The authorities had already communicated about the mandatory re-registration, which was imitated but it took authorities more than six months to verify the credentials of the management body.
On 9 December, the re-registration was finally issued following which the Club decided to initiate the process of fresh elections and also announced the date, But all of a sudden a group of ‘journalists including some non members approached the district administration with a proposal to an ‘interim body” and it is followed by a communication from the government that the re-registration has been kept in abeyance.
This move, in which a group of journalists self appointed itself as an ‘interim body is uncivil, illegal, unconstitutional and without any precedence.
Meanwhile, the former Chief Minister of Jammu Kashmir, Omar Abdullah referred to he takeover as a coup saying, “There is no government this “journalist” hasn’t sucked up to & no government he hasn’t lied on behalf of. I should know, I’ve seen both sides very closely. Now he’s benefited from a state sponsored coup.”