‘Time to Defend My Rights’: J&K Photojournalist Booked Under UAPA

Photojournalist Masrat Zahra had been booked for allegedly posting ‘anti-national’ content on social media.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@Masratzahra/Altered by The Quint)

Jammu and Kashmir photojournalist Masrat Zahra took to Twitter on Tuesday, 21 April, saying it was time to "defend my rights as a journalist", a day after it was reported that she had been booked for allegedly posting 'anti-national' content on social media.

“So wish me good luck bcause it's time to defend my rights as a journalist, Going inside cyber police station (sic),” Zahra wrote on Twitter.

Zahra was charged under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. According to a police official, a case had been registered against her for allegedly uploading 'anti-national' posts with criminal intention to induce the youth and promote offences against tranquility.

Meanwhile, in another case, an FIR was registered against senior journalist Peerzada Ashiq, working for The Hindu, over a story he had filed recently.

Soon after the the cases were registered against the two journalists, press bodies and journalists took to social media to lodge their protest against the action. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti's daughter Iltija Mufti said ‘intimidating and harassing journalists in Jammu and Kashmir to stifle reportage has become the norm.’

Reacting to the development, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor wrote on Twitter: “The FIR against J&K journalist Masrat Zahra for 'anti-national' posts is another instance of the govt abusing UAPA to curb dissident voices.”

(With inputs from PTI)