Kolkata journalists protest attacks

KOLKATA — Hundreds of journalists from across West Bengal held a protest rally in Kolkata on July 27, condemning the assault on media personnel during a student demonstration on July 24. The march, organized by the Kolkata Journalists' Fraternity, began at the Kolkata Press Club and concluded at Dorina Crossing, the site of the original attack, where journalists demanded safety for media professionals and strict action against those responsible for the violence.

A delegation later submitted a memorandum to the Governor at Raj Bhavan, seeking justice for injured journalists and stronger protections for press personnel covering protests.

The attacks occurred during a protest march organized by Left student organizations and the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) over the NEET exam paper leak. Six journalists were injured and treated at state-run SSKM Hospital after a section of the crowd hurled shoes, bottles, and bricks at police and media personnel. The protesters had been demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and the dissolution of the National Testing Agency. Pradhan resigned on July 25, a day after the violence.

Government invokes new Goonda Act in landmark case

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that the newly enacted West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Act, 2026, commonly known as the Goonda Act, would be invoked against those accused of orchestrating the violence. This marks the first application of the legislation since its passage, allowing for preventive detention of up to 12 months without trial and granting authorities broad arrest and search powers. “We will take such action under the Goonda Act that these goons and even their next three generations will remember it,” Adhikari stated in the state Assembly.

Adhikari alleged that approximately 70 people had been identified through video footage and that none of the accused were students or connected to the NEET movement. Police confirmed 16 arrests as of July 27, with investigators recreating the sequence of events at Dorina Crossing using five detained suspects. Those arrested include individuals from Kolkata and surrounding districts, with police claiming many are "outsiders" with previous criminal records rather than student protesters.

Communal framing and political controversy

The chief minister's response drew criticism for its communal framing after he publicly named five alleged offenders, all bearing Muslim names, and referred to the perpetrators as “those Friday people”, a phrase widely interpreted as a reference to Muslims. Adhikari also alleged that Islamic fundamentalists, possibly backed by foreign forces, were behind the violence, claiming they had “infiltrated” the student movement. Press freedom advocates and opposition parties condemned the remarks, with the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights alleging the violence was engineered to create grounds for applying the new law.

Journalists present at the scene, however, offered conflicting accounts of the violence. An audio-visual journalist told The Wire that the mob did not appear to have an identifiable political character and that student protesters had formed protective rings around reporters. Several organizers and witnesses claimed that outsiders, allegedly linked to the ruling establishment, had entered the procession to engineer the violence. The Students Federation of India (SFI) and other Left student organizations condemned the attacks on media workers. Still, they alleged that people linked to the ruling party were responsible for triggering the unrest.

WHY THIS MATTERS: The attacks on journalists during a political protest underscore the growing risks media personnel face while covering public demonstrations in India, particularly in politically charged environments. The case has significant implications for press freedom and journalist safety, with media organizations demanding better safety protocols and legal accountability, a pattern seen across multiple states where covering protests has become increasingly hazardous. The government's invocation of stringent legislation and its communal framing of the perpetrators raises concerns about the potential use of anti-social laws against journalists and civil society, which could further chill press freedom and independent reporting.

ATTRIBUTION: Reporting by JournalismPakistan, based on publicly available statements and reports by United News of India (July 27, 2026), The Wire (July 26, 2026), and The Telegraph India (July 26, 2026).

PHOTO: AI-generated; for illustrative purposes only