Kashmir photojournalist booked for anti-national' social media post
Srinagar: A woman photojournalist working in Kashmir was on Monday booked for allegedly posting anti-national content on social media with the intention to incite the youth and promote offences against tranquillity , police said.
The development comes close on the heels of police summoning senior journalist Peerzada Ashiq, working for a national daily, over a story he had filed recently.
A case has been registered against Masrat Zahra for uploading anti-national posts with criminal intention to induce the youth and promote offences against tranquillity, a police official said.
The police officials, however, refused to comment any further on the FIR registered against the photojournalist or the summoning of senior journalist Peerzada Ashiq.
Ashiq was summoned by the police on Sunday in two different districts of Kashmir within a span of six hours to explain his position regarding one of his news reports.
The press bodies and other journalists, however, took to social media to lodge their protest against the action.
"Masarat Zehra, a professional photojournalist has honestly told stories of Kashmir in 4-year career. Invoking UAPA (unlawful activities prevention act) is outrageous. In solidarity with our colleague, we demand FIR (be) withdrawn. Journalism is not crime. Intimidation/censorship won't silence Kashmir's journalists," Moazum Mohammad, vice president of Kashmir Press Club, said in a tweet.
The press club, in a statement, also asked Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor G C Murmu to issue directions for putting an end to harassment of journalists in the Union Territory.
It said there have been instances wherein scribes were harassed for travelling to report stories.
"The Jammu and Kashmir government, especially the police, needs to understand that there is a vast difference between journalism and cyber crime," the press club said in reference to the Cyber police station summoning both the journalists.
While Ashiq was summoned on Sunday before being directed to appear before police in Anantnag district in late evening hours, Zahra was summoned to the Cyber police station on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Twitterati and journalists in Kashmir started the hashtag #IStandWithMasratZahra in support of the woman journalist.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti'a daughter Iltija Mufti said intimidating and harassing journalists in Jammu and Kashmir to stifle reportage has become the norm.
"Masarat Zahra, a photojournalist was booked under draconian UAPA for allegedly 'uploading anti national posts'. In J&K using VPNs or social media is now seen as a threat to public order," Iltija tweeted from her mother's handle.
In another tweet, she said, "Predominantly media in the country is largely pliable. The ones that have any credibility left are hounded & punished. It's worse for journalists from J&K who report at the cost of their lives. TOI reporter Samiya Latief was bullied & trolled on twitter."
The action against the two journalists comes amidst a crackdown by police, including its cyber wing, on internet users peddling fake news or uploading anti-national content on the virtual platform.
According to police sources, at least five persons, including a policeman, have been arrested over the past one month for posting anti-national or inflammatory content on social media and circulating fake news.
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Voting underway for local body elections in Gujarat
Ahmedabad (PTI): Voting got underway on Sunday morning for elections to several local bodies in Gujarat, including 15 municipal corporations and 84 municipalities.
Polling began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, as per the schedule announced by the State Election Commission.
The elections are being held for 15 municipal corporations, including Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot, 84 municipalities, 34 district panchayats and 260 taluka panchayats, making it one of the largest electoral exercises in the state.
A total of 9,992 candidates are in the fray, with more than 4.18 crore voters eligible to exercise their franchise.
A three-tier security is in place, aided by CCTV surveillance and deployment of special squads in sensitive areas, police officials said.
The polls are being conducted under revised norms for Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservations, and required extensive delimitation and restructuring of wards in several districts.
The ruling BJP, Opposition Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have emerged as the key players, while All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is also contesting in several places.
Among notable candidates are former Gujarat-cadre IPS officer M L Ninama, ex-radio jockey Abha Desai, and former AAP MLA Bhupendra Bhayani.
Ninama is contesting from the Odh seat in Shamlaji taluka for the Arvalli district panchayat elections, while the BJP has nominated Bhayani from the Bhesan seat of the Junagadh district panchayat.
Desai, popularly known as RJ Abha, is contesting as a Congress candidate from ward number 10 of the Rajkot Municipal Corporation.
Elections are also being held for the first time in nine newly-created municipal corporations, including Navsari, Gandhidham, Morbi, Vapi, Anand, Nadiad, Mehsana, Porbandar and Surendranagar.
Counting of votes will take place on April 28.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel campaigned extensively for the BJP.
The AAP had taken the lead over other parties in launching the campaign, with its national convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann addressing several rallies across Gujarat.
In a first for AAP, the Kejriwal-led party is contesting around 5,000 seats in local polls.
Other contestants include the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Independents.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi campaigned in the final phase, addressing public meetings in Ahmedabad and Bhuj.
In March 2021, the BJP scored a landslide win in the local polls in Gujarat, winning 6,236 out of 8,470 seats across various municipalities and establishing a wide gap with rival Congress.
The BJP had then dominated all six municipal corporations, besides 81 municipalities, 32 district panchayats, and 231 taluka panchayats.
