Mir Junaid
Amid festivities, thousands of people thronged Jamia Masjid in anticipation of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq addressing a Friday sermon from the grand mosque of Srinagar in Kashmir. A journalist named Saqib Majeed alleged that he was assaulted by Forces deployed around the historical mosque.
On Friday morning, amid speculations and media reports, people from all parts of Srinagar decorated the areas around Jamia Masjid to welcome Mirwaiz Umar, who was reportedly released on Wednesday after nearly 20 Months of detention at his residence, however, the Hurriyat Conference led by him denounced the media reports saying, “On Friday morning, the officials informed him that he cannot address the Friday gathering at Jamia Masjid.”
As people in large numbers reached Jamia Masjid, journalists in large numbers reached the mosque to report the turn of events.
Two journalists, present at the mosque alleged that some of them were barred from entering inside Jamia Masjid, while one photojournalist, Saqib Majeeb alleged that he was assaulted by Force personnel. Other Journalists later reached the scene.
In a video of the incident that is being widely circulated on social media, Saqib could be clearly heard saying, “You choked my throat” to the Policemen whom several journalists were arguing with, however, the situation soon turned peaceful after the intervention of a senior cop.
The Superintendent of Police Sandeep Gupta is heard shouting at journalists, “I am not thrashing journalists, I have merely asked you to go away, Gupta has also denied the reports of any confrontation and having said, “I was trying to push them back, telling them to move back.”
“I was merely performing my job, a Policeman came and held me by my collar, I do not know why I was assaulted, I did not even say a word,” Saqib told The Kashmiriyat over the phone.
Saqib Majeed, who is Prestige’s Wisden Cricket award winner, in the video, says that a cop choked him outside Jamia Masjid Srinagar. “I was slapped and I precisely fail to understand why I was merely doing what I do. I was reporting as a journalist,” Saqib said. He has received minor injuries.
“When I saw police chasing the protestors, I ran too, after a Policeman took my hold, he strangled my neck under his arm and slapped me on my face several times,” Saqib told The Kashmiriyat.
A Police official later intervened and said that the Police was trying to ensure the safety of Journalists, Saqib told The Kashmiriyat. Meanwhile, another journalist, Shafat Farooq who works with the BBC Urdu also alleged being mishandled and bashed with a gunstock.
Speaking to The Kasmiriyat he said that while covering the minor protests in Jamia Masjid, the Police asked the Journalists to go away from the spot. “I left the spot and as I was running away from the commotion, a Policeman chased me and hit me with his gun stock for absolutely no reason at all.”
After intervention of a senior Police officer, Shafat mentioned that, “The officials apologized to us, but I have my shots recorded on my camera, that is what my weapon is.”