At least 35 journalists were detained on Tuesday after they allegedly tried to force their way into Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani’s office in Gandhinagar, PTI reported quoting the police. Journalists from local newspapers had gone to meet Rupani to discuss the changes made in the state government’s advertisement policy.
“The chief minister wanted a small group of journalists gathered outside his office to meet him, but a large number of scribes tried to force their way into the CM’s office, following which they were detained,” said Gandhinagar Superintendent of Police Mayur Chavda, adding that they were released after an hour.
An unidentified journalist said they also wanted to bring up the assault of a few journalists by policemen outside the residence of Patidar leader Hardik Patel, who is observing an indefinite fast in Ahmedabad.
Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said the incident showed the Bharatiya Janata Party government’s apathy towards journalists in the state. “Despite knowing how journalists were treated outside the residence of Hardik Patel, the government did not deem it necessary to enquire into the matter,” Doshi said. “This shows the BJP government’s apathy towards the representatives of the fourth pillar of democracy.”
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