NDTV, Reuters and AP journalists occupying palatial government bungalows in Srinagar asked to vacate; As expected, Kashmir Press club alleges harassment

The true reasons behind the unhappiness of few vested interest journalists in Jammu and Kashmir over amendment to Article 370 and re-organisation of the state is slowly emerging. Such journalists are now fearing and realize that their exclusive benefits and power they wielded all these days are numbered. The elite journalists who were entrenched in the political system of Kashmir, had occupied palatial bungalows in Srinagar for many years.

The government has now asked at least 3 such senior journalists to vacate from these bungalows. These journalists were staying in these government bungalows without meeting the required criteria. It is being said that these bungalows were allotted by the previous governments in lieu of their “journalistic services”. Since such benefits cannot be extended under any rule of the government, their stay was clearly illegal. The names of these journalists have been made public by the Kashmir Press Club itself. These include the names of NDTV’s Bureau Chief Nazir Masoodi, Reuters senior representative Fayyaz Bukhari and Associated Press’s Aijaz Hussain. The state government has asked these journalists to vacate the government accommodation immediately.

The Kashmir press club which is a motley group of select vested interest journalists has accused the state government of victimizing these journalists instead of asking them to vacate the government accommodation which they were never entitled to. This attitude of the Kashmir Press Club has put a question mark on the the journalistic ethics of the club. The Kashmir Press Club has said in an official statement that the government is harassing the Kashmiri journalists and by asking them to vacate is coercing them to ‘toe a particular line’.

Those who know the journalists of Jammu and Kashmir from close, know that such journalists are not behind in cosying up with the ruling establishment since the past 70 years. As a result, these journalists with vested interests always abused the central government and toed the line of the ruling party in Kashmir. Now, with the amendment to Article 370 and re-organisation of the state, these journalists fear that along with losing their erstwhile privileges, their old rackets might also be exposed. It is due to this fear of being unmasked, these journalists are now indulging in fear-mongering and have waged a propaganda war against the state and central governments.