A day after two people lost their lives in protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act that turned violent, journalists have been stopped from reporting in Mangaluru, according to reports.
Journalists from three Kerala-based news channels — News 24, Media One and Asianet — have been stopped from reporting in Karnataka’s Mangaluru, according to NDTV. These news channels, the report added, were interviewing the relatives of the two people who died on Thursday.
The News Minute added that camerapersons and reporters from Manorama and Mathrubhumi were among those detained.
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The City Commissioner’s office, according to The News Minute, claimed that that they were not carrying ‘accreditation cards’ issued by any authority and hence, were being questioned.
Police Commissioner PS Harsha was quoted as saying by The Hindu, “Concerned Department of Information and Public Relations of that State will be requested to verify the veracity of them being journalists and further action initiated. All journalists with proper media accreditation cards are given all access to report.”
Reacting to the detention of journalists from his state, Kerala Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan was quoted as saying by The News Minute that when he received the information that Kerala journalists, including those from Kasaragode, have been taken into custody by police in Mangaluru, “I asked Kerala Chief Secretary to contact Karnataka government and conduct an inquiry into it.”
The Karnataka government suspended mobile internet services in Dakshina Kannada district on Thursday night for the next 48 hours.
(With PTI inputs)