The journalists were covering protests at Jantar Mantar and other locations in the national capital on Saturday, October 10, when police launched a major operation to prevent demonstrators from assembling. The protests were organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and supported by Opposition leaders, who have been demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral irregularities. According to the press bodies, journalists documenting police action were put on buses and taken to detention centres, including Chhatrasal Stadium and Chanakyapuri police station. Reporters associated with The Quint, The Wire, Scroll, Reporter TV, Navbharat Times and Newslaundry were among those reportedly detained. Senior journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta was also named in reports about the detentions. 

The organisations said reporters were detained while filming the police operation, even though they had prominently displayed their press identity cards. Their joint statement also alleged that some police personnel refused to recognise the journalists’ credentials, with officers reportedly saying, “Everybody claims to be a journalist these days.” The press bodies further said they had received complaints that official reporting phones and other equipment belonging to some detained journalists had been taken away. They described the incidents as a serious interference with journalistic work, particularly because the reporters were documenting a public protest and the actions of law-enforcement personnel. The allegations have not been independently established in the available reports, and a detailed response from Delhi Police was not included in the statements cited. 

A major point of contention was the reported position that only journalists accredited by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) would be permitted to cover the protests. The four organisations challenged this approach, arguing that PIB accreditation should not be treated as the sole measure of whether a person is a journalist. They noted that many digital news outlets and independent media organisations operate without PIB-issued identity cards but still undertake professional reporting. According to the organisations, they had already raised concerns about the restrictions in a joint memorandum submitted to the Delhi Police commissioner earlier in the week. They alleged that their recommendations had not been adequately addressed before the protest and subsequent detentions. 

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The press bodies called for the immediate and unconditional release of all detained journalists, the return of any seized phones and reporting equipment, and a public apology from Delhi Police. They also demanded an inquiry into the role of senior police officers who allegedly directed the detentions despite reporters showing their press identification cards. In addition, they sought an explicit assurance that journalists would be allowed to cover demonstrations without intimidation or unnecessary interference. The organisations said the ability to report on public gatherings was essential to informing citizens about police action, political demonstrations and developments involving public institutions. They expressed solidarity with the affected reporters and called for their professional responsibilities to be respected. 

The joint statement also criticised the scale of security measures imposed across Delhi during the protest. The organisations alleged that around 22,000 police and paramilitary personnel had been deployed, metro stations had been closed and internet services had been disrupted as authorities sought to prevent demonstrations. They argued that such restrictions, alongside the detention of journalists, created an environment that impeded peaceful public scrutiny of institutions. Describing the situation as “reminiscent of a fascist state”, they said detaining reporters who were carrying out their work undermined press freedom. The phrase was used by the organisations in their statement and represents their assessment of the police response, rather than an independently established legal or political finding. 

The controversy has emerged amid a wider confrontation over the planned CJP-led demonstrations and calls for Gyanesh Kumar to resign. Delhi Police detained large numbers of protesters on Saturday as authorities sought to prevent the gathering from proceeding as planned, while Opposition figures and demonstrators criticised the restrictions. The allegations concerning journalists have added a press-freedom dimension to the dispute, raising questions about how reporters can cover protests while police enforce public-order measures. Establishing the full circumstances will require further information about the legal grounds for the individual detentions, the handling of journalists’ equipment and the police’s response to the demands made by the press organisations. As of the reports published on Sunday, the four bodies were seeking accountability, the return of seized belongings and a guarantee that journalists would be able to report on future demonstrations without interference. 

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