Journalists protest arrest of Kanojia, two others; call it attack on freedom of expression

A group of journalists and activists held a protest here on Monday over the arrest of scribe Prashant Kanojia and the editor and the head of a Noida-based TV channel by the Uttar Pradesh police, alleging that it is an attack on the freedom of expression.

They demanded the immediate release of Kanojia, Anuj Shukla, who is the editor of Noida-based TV channel Nation Live, and its head Ishika Singh, who have faced police action over the release of alleged objectionable content against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

The journalists, many wearing black arm bands and holding placards, held a symbolic march from the Press Club of India in central Delhi towards the Rail Bhawan circle and back in the scorching heat and raised slogans against the Yogi government.

Kanojia's wife Jageesha Arora, who also joined the protest, said, "My husband's arrest is absolutely illegal and unconstitutional. So, now, people can get arrested for writing something on social media and using humour."
Senior journalist Neerja Chowdhury, who took part in the protest too, also alleged that the arrest of the three persons amounted to an attack on the freedom of media and freedom of expression