At least 12 journalists covering protests against India's chief election commissioner in Delhi were detained by police on Sunday, with several alleging they were manhandled despite showing their press credentials, according to reports in the Indian media.
The detainees included journalists from the Hindi-language daily Hindustan, The Indian Express and The Hindu, as well as reporters and photographers working for digital news platforms, Hindustan Times reports.
Ashish Singh, a reporter for Hindustan, which belongs to the same media group as Hindustan Times, said police pushed and injured him while he was covering a demonstration near RK Ashram Marg, according to the report.
Singh said he repeatedly identified himself as a journalist and showed his press card, but officers ignored him and forced him onto a police bus.
He and another journalist managed to leave the vehicle after about 20 to 30 minutes.
A photojournalist from a national news agency also alleged that officers pushed him into a police vehicle while he was photographing detentions, the report added. He said he hid his camera's memory card to protect his footage.
Three journalists from The Indian Express's Hindi team were detained near Connaught Place despite displaying their press credentials.
They were taken to another part of Delhi before being released about 45 minutes later, according to The Indian Express.
A journalist from The Hindu was also briefly detained before being released after identifying herself as a reporter.
Delhi Police's spokesperson declined to comment on the detentions, the Hindustan Times report said.
International Criticism
The detentions have drawn criticism from international press freedom organisations, with Reporters Without Borders (RSF) saying at least 16 journalists were detained while covering demonstrations across India on Saturday.
The Paris-based organisation said the reported detentions included journalists in Delhi, Ahmedabad and Pune.
"Covering events of public interest is not a crime. It is their job. The police's actions against the press are unacceptable," RSF said.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also urged Delhi police to stop targeting journalists and honour the government's assurance to the Supreme Court that media personnel would be allowed to carry out their professional duties without obstruction.
The criticism came as India's Supreme Court directed authorities on Sunday not to obstruct journalists and lawyers carrying out their professional duties during the protest crackdown.
The demonstrations are part of continuing protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in revisions to India's electoral rolls.