Journalist Yogesh Dhimri admitted in a Rishikesh hospital after he was attacked allegedly by the liquor mafia in Rishikesh yesterday. Photo courtesy Himalaya ki Aawaz
New Delhi: The Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) today condemned the “life-threatening” attack on Uttarakhand-based journalist Yogesh Dhimri, whose digital channel Aanwala News, it noted, has been at the forefront of exposes about the drug and liquor mafia operating in the state. Dhimri was attacked with stones by the alleged liquor mafia yesterday. The police claimed to have arrested the culprit, Sunil Ganje, today.
“The attack left him badly injured. We demand an immediate inquiry and adequate compensation and protection for Dhimri,” the DUJ stated in a press release signed by its president Sujata Madhok, vice president S.K.Pande and general secretary Jigeesh A.M.
It further noted that Dhimri was also known for his reportage of the Ankita Bhandari rape and murder case.
The DUJ also expressed its shock at the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government’s new digital media policy. It claimed that this policy was an “I scratch your back and you scratch mine” method of government-sponsored paid news. Under it ‘influencers’ can earn up to Rs 8 lakh per month for promoting state schemes.
“Much worse, this policy threatens that anyone who posts ‘anti-national’ content on social media may be punished by imprisonment for anywhere from three years to life in jail. Further, this ‘policy’ carries the threat that obscene and defamatory content posted online will result in defamation charges being brought by the government,” the DUJ stated, claiming that both carrot and stick will be applied to make sure the media toes the official line.
The DUJ also noted “with concern” that attacks on the media are growing countrywide, whether they are attacks by police on journos covering the protests against the Kolkata rape-murder case or the recent attack on media persons by the Jawaharlal Nehru University’s private security agency Cyclops. “In the latter case journos covering a student protest were roughed up and a camera and other equipment snatched. We strongly object to such strong-arm tactics by university authorities and their agencies towards journalists covering lawful protests,” it stated.
The press release also mentioned the growing number of attacks on journalists’ livelihoods, with more organisations laying off media persons. “Most recently, there is news of the India Today group letting go of nearly 200 people, most of them employed with Aajtak and its digital verticals. We strongly object to this pattern of dismissing media persons to replace them with AI tools. This, the DUJ fears, will result in further diluting the low journalism standards of many news channels even if it increases their profits,” it stated.
– global bihari bureau
