Gauhati Press Club Calls for Wearing Black Badge Over Tear Gas Attack on Journalists

The Gauhati Press Club (GPC) has strongly condemned the police action of using tear gas shells on journalists covering a political programme in Guwahati on Wednesday.

Visual evidence revealed that the tear gas was deployed in areas where reporters and video journalists had gathered, leading to several injuries among the media personnel, the GPC said in a statement. Several injured journalists required medical treatment following the incident.

Highlighting a disturbing trend, the GPC noted that journalists in different parts of Assam have increasingly become victims of violence while performing their professional duties. Expressing deep concern over the incident, the Press Club urged the civil and police administration to ensure such incidents do not recur.

The GPC emphasized the need for specialized training for police and other personnel involved in mob control and maintaining law and order, so they can handle such situations efficiently without endangering journalists on duty.

As a mark of protest against the repeated assaults on journalists, the GPC has appealed to all media persons to wear black badges on Thursday.