A heavy police contingent entered the Rafi Marg offices of United News of India (UNI) in New Delhi and forcibly removed journalists and staff, an action that has sparked widespread condemnation across the country. The incident, reported on March 20, 2026, drew immediate rebuke from the Press Club of India (PCI), which called the entry and eviction “a major attack on media freedom.”
Eye-witnesses at the scene said a large force pushed several employees — including women journalists — out of the building and did not allow them time to collect personal belongings. According to those present, there was no prior notice from either the agency’s management or authorities asking the office to be vacated before the operation.
The PCI’s executive member Prem Bahukhandi and Uttarakhand movement leader and former state minister Dhirendra Pratap strongly denounced the action. In a statement to the media, they described the police behaviour toward working journalists as not only inhumane but a direct breach of journalists’ constitutional right to work independently. The PCI has demanded a swift inquiry and immediate action against those responsible.
Police said the eviction was carried out to comply with a court order related to a land dispute at the site. However, some observers and staff have alleged the operation may have been executed to satisfy an influential local businessman, a claim that has not been independently verified.
The episode has reignited wider concerns about press freedom in India, with several quarters calling the forced removal an ominous signal for the country’s “fourth estate.” National and regional media outlets and commentators have described the operation in strong terms; a March 20, 2026 social media post by The Statesman called it “an unprecedented atrocity and attack on freedom of media.”
Calls are growing for an impartial investigation, legal clarity on the grounds for the eviction, and assurances that journalists will be protected from intimidation while carrying out their work.
Original Source: https://assam.nenow.in/uni-office-press-freedom-row/
Category: Popular Stories,দেশ,শীর্ষ সংবাদ
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Publish Date: 2026-03-22 22:51:00
