Monday, 17 April 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Bhatt welcomes MHA considering SOPs to ensure safety of journalists
The Bharatiya Janata Party State president Mahendra Bhatt said that men posing as media persons to shoot Atiq Ahmed and Ashraf Ahmed is a matter of concern also when it comes to the safety of media persons. He welcomed the Union government considering to bring out standard operating procedures for the safety of media persons. Stating that the safety of media persons is an important issue, he supported the attempt by the Centre to bring out SOP for this purpose. Responding to questions being raised following the double murder, he said that the criminals themselves are feeling insecure in Uttar Pradesh and all other BJP governed States.
Bhatt said that attackers posing as media persons to shoot the duo needs to be taken seriously. “The manner in which the three assailants posed as media persons to attack the two accused in police custody and started firing, it could have proved fatal to media persons too. Such an unfortunate situation can occur anywhere in crowds which gather around prominent persons or during cases of crime. The Ministry of Home Affairs considering preparation of SOPs for the safety of journalists is a welcome step so that such an incident doesn’t take place in the future and the safety of journalists is also ensured,” said Bhatt.
Responding to questions raised by the opposition regarding the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP State president said that everyone in the nation knows that under chief minister Yogi Adityanath, the people of UP are feeling safe while the criminals are living in fear. At least, this is what the chain of events so far shows, he said. A policy of zero tolerance for crime is being observed in UP, Uttarakhand and other States with BJP governments so only the criminals need to be afraid, added Bhatt.
