Mumbai/New Delhi: Actor-turned-politician Urmila Matondkar expressed her views after Delhi Police arrested freelance journalist at Singhu border
On her Twitter handle, she wrote, “upsetting n stifling to see REAL n hardworking journalists just disappear..where r those heavy weight leaders/ministers who took time n efforts to tweet about #freedofpress while #Arnab was questioned
#ReleaseMandeepPunia
Where is #MandeepPunia ?? @FreedomofPress”.
Meanwhile, officials said that the journalist was arrested from the Singhu border for allegedly misbehaving with the police personnel on duty at the farmers’ protest site.
Journalists stage protest
A group of journalists on Sunday evening staged a protest outside police headquarters against the arrest of Punia.
The protesters were carrying placards in their hands and raising slogans. They also held a small march near the area.
Barricades at the border
Police had earlier said they placed barricades at the border following the violence on Friday to ensure that no one could get through.
However, some people including the journalist were trying to remove the barricades, the police had alleged, adding that the scribe also misbehaved with the police personnel there.
Clashes erupted at the Singhu border on Friday between farmers and a large group of men claiming to be local residents who hurled stones at each other. The Singhu border is one of the main protest sites against the new farm laws.
Delhi Police SHO (Alipur) was injured in the violence.
At least 44 people, including the man who attacked the SHO, have been arrested in connection with the incident.