Reporters Without Orders Ep 128: Mob attack on Caravan journalists, reporting on Delhi riots, and more

In this episode, host Snigdha Sharma is joined by Newslaundry’s Ayush Tiwari and Basant Kumar.

They discuss Ayush and Basant’s report about what happened in Northeast Delhi on the night of Bhoomi Pujan for the Ayodhya temple. “Residents told us that people at night were raising obscene slogans like ‘Mullo bahar jao’, ‘Suaron bahar jao’, they called them pigs,” Ayush says, adding that Muslim residents were scared and nervous. “All this sloganeering had set off a panic attack in the area.”

A lot of saffron flags were planted in the locality,” Basant adds. “A couple of the flags were removed by the police in the morning. The police said they removed the flags to avoid tension.”

The trio also discusses the SHO’s response to the situation in Northeast Delhi. On being questioned about the flags, the SHO responded “why is there a problem in putting up flags? They weren’t put up on their homes.” “How can a police officer dismiss the fear and concern of the citizens,” says Ayush.

They also discuss how a Hindu mob attacked three Caravan reporters, again in Northeast Delhi. The journalists were out reporting on the harassment of the neighbourhood’s Muslim women. They were “harassed” and “manhandled” by the mob.

Basant and Ayush recount their own experiences reporting in Northeast Delhi. “I definitely felt a little uneasy there,”Ayush says.

Basant points out that such attacks on journalists are not a new phenomenon. But what is surprising now is the response of the police.

This and a lot more as they talk about what made news this week, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have.

Tune in!

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Produced and recorded by Parikshit Sanyal, edited by Umrav Singh. Transcribed by Lipi Vats.

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