SRINAGAR: An Indian Army officer asked two journalists to leave an event because they “did not stand up when the Indian national anthem was played and the Indian flag was unfurled”.
The anthem was played during the passing out parade of recruits at the regimental centre of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regiment.
The national flag was disrespected in front of a Jammu and Kashmir minister and senior bureaucrats.
The photograph issued by the Jammu and Kashmir Government’s Department of Information on Tuesday, clearly showed the two journalists showing disrespect to the national flag in front of the state’s Minister for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation and senior PDP leader Syed Basharat Ahmed.
“The army had invited us to cover the event, not to participate in it. When the Indian anthem was played, I was jotting down notes for my story. After the anthem finished, a Colonel Burn came up to us and said, “All people here stood up for the anthem and the flag except you. We don’t need people like you here, so leave,” said Kashmir Reader correspondent Junaid Bazaz.
The other journalist who was asked to leave was a correspondent of the newspaper Rising Kashmir.
ANI