Srinagar: Newspapers did not hit the stalls in Kashmir for fourth day in a row on Tuesday as the curfew and lockdown in the valley continued. Papers will not hit newsstands on Wednesday either.
Dozens of working Journalists and editors staged protest in Srinagar against what they called an information blockade.
Carrying placards, the journalists accused the state government of throttling freedom the of the press and accused authorities of "propaganda" by claiming there was no ban on newspapers in Kashmir.
Yesterday Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's advisor Amitabh Matoo told NDTV that there was no ban on newspapers. The editors however countered the claims.
"We have not closed our publications even when our colleagues were killed. The government has tried to tarnish our credibility by claiming that there was no ban. the government should first accept that it has banned the media," said Masood Hussain, editor of Kashmir Life.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti however told NDTV that there is no ban.
"They can publish newspapers and if there is any problem in distribution due to curfew we can issue curfew passes to them," she said.
On Saturday, the police conducted raids on newspaper offices, seized thousands of copies and arrested employees.
Senior minister Naeem Akhtar had then said. "The government is responding to an extraordinary situation and closure of newspapers is a temporary measure."
Yesterday, Senior Superintendent of Police of Budgam district Sayaz Ahmad Lone was removed for conducting a raid on offices of Greater Kashmir. But journalists say the officer was made a scapegoat.
"We never asked any action against the SSP. He was made scapegoat. The decision was taken by the government," said Arshad Kaloo, Editor of Greater Kashmir.
As uncertainty looms large on the unrest in Kashmir since the killing of terrorist Burhan Wani, on July 8, so is the fate of the media in the Valley, journalists said.
Dozens of working Journalists and editors staged protest in Srinagar against what they called an information blockade.
Carrying placards, the journalists accused the state government of throttling freedom the of the press and accused authorities of "propaganda" by claiming there was no ban on newspapers in Kashmir.
"We have not closed our publications even when our colleagues were killed. The government has tried to tarnish our credibility by claiming that there was no ban. the government should first accept that it has banned the media," said Masood Hussain, editor of Kashmir Life.
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"They can publish newspapers and if there is any problem in distribution due to curfew we can issue curfew passes to them," she said.
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Senior minister Naeem Akhtar had then said. "The government is responding to an extraordinary situation and closure of newspapers is a temporary measure."
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"We never asked any action against the SSP. He was made scapegoat. The decision was taken by the government," said Arshad Kaloo, Editor of Greater Kashmir.
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