Hours after the Kerala crew of four news channels were detained while covering the Citizenship Amendment Act protests in Mangaluru, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday expressed regret over the "unfortunate incident" and asked his Karnataka counterpart -- BS Yediyurappa -- to ensure that all of them are freed at the earliest.
"The Government of Kerala expresses its deep concern at this turn of events. I request your kind intervention for issuing directions to the police authorities so that the mediapersons are freed at the earliest and be allowed to discharge their duties in a free manner without being intimidated," Mr Vijayan said in his letter.
Police had stopped journalists of News 24, Media One, News 18 and Asianet news channels from reporting in Mangaluru, a district of Karnataka bordering Kerala, and taken them into custody. In a video footage that's being circulated on social media, a senior police officer is seen interrupting a reporter in the middle of a segment and demanding to see his identification. Upon being shown what seems to be a company-issued ID card, the officer shouts: "No, that is not accreditation... not government-issued... Out!"
Eight of the detained journalists were released by evening, news agency PTI later reported.
Two people were killed in police firing in Mangaluru during nationwide agitations against the controversial law on Thursday. The news channel crews were among four from Kerala that visited Mangaluru to interview relatives of the dead protesters.
On Thursday, Mr Vijayan had asked Union Home Minister Amit Shah to safeguard Keralite students from being targeted by "certain groups" during protests in New Delhi. "I wish to bring to your kind attention the state of anxiety of the parents and relatives of the students and that of the government of Kerala in this regard," Mr Vijayan said in that letter.
Protests have broken out in various parts of the country ever since the parliament passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill, which aims to make it easier for non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan to become Indian nationals. While protesters in the Northeast claim that it will nullify the Assam Accord of 1985 and open the floodgates for illegal migrants into the region, those in other parts of the country term it as a "discriminatory" law that seeks to undermine India's secular credentials.
Mr Vijayan had earlier said that his government will not allow the Citizenship Amendment Act to be implemented in the state.
(With inputs from PTI)
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