At Least 20 Journalists Detained as Anti-SIR Protests Continue in India

At Least 20 Journalists Detained as Anti-SIR Protests Continue in India
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Delhi Police detained at least 20 journalists on October 11 while they covered protests demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. Reporters from The Indian Express, Hindustan Times, Peek TV and several Malayalam news channels were among those detained and later released.

Female journalists, including members of Maktoob’s reporting team, also reportedly faced harassment and Islamophobic abuse by men at Connaught Place in the presence of police.

The detentions followed similar incidents on Saturday, prompting Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists to condemn the police action and call for journalists to be allowed to report freely. The protests have spread across several Indian cities, amid growing concerns over restrictions on press freedom and police conduct.