Protests over the arrest of three journalists in relation to the Class XII paper leak case in the Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh continued on Friday, April 8. Journalists took to the streets in a procession, demanding the immediate release of their colleagues, under the banner of the Ballia Samyukta Patrakar Sangharsh Samiti. They are also demanding the suspension of the District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police, according to a report by news agency, PTI.
The police, who have so far arrested 50 people in connection with the case, have not as yet been able to specify the nature of the three journalists' role in the leak. It is to be noted that one of the three scribes had lashed out at the authorities and claimed that they were attempting to silence the free press by arresting the journalists who broke the story. Chief Minister of UP Yogi Adityanath has imposed the National Security Act in the case, which allows the police to detain suspects without an explanation.
The protesting journalists beat thalis (plates) and clapped to protest against the arrests of Ajit Kumar Ojha, Digvijay Singh and Manoj Gupta and were supported by various political parties, business organisations and common people.
Slogans were also raised against the administration during a demonstration at the Collectorate. Former MLA Surendra Singh, Samajwadi Party leader and former president of Ballia Municipal Council Laxman Gupta also joined the demonstration, along with senior SP leader Ram Govind Chaudhary.
Chaudhary levied allegations of undermining democratic institutions and condemned the "attack on the fourth pillar of democracy to cover up its failures in the exam leak case."
