Overview

• Dainik Jagran reporter Rakesh Sharma was attacked by BJP activists in Kathua after raising questions about security failures linked to the Pahalgam terror attack.
• The assault, captured in a viral video, has drawn widespread condemnation from journalists and political opposition groups, highlighting threats to press freedom in Jammu and Kashmir.
• Deputy Superintendent of Police Ravinder Singh intervened to protect Sharma and admitted him to Government Medical College for treatment; he remains hospitalized and recovering.
• Journalists have protested at Shaheedi chowk, boycotted BJP events, and demanded an FIR against the accused, while the Congress Committee called for an apology from BJP President J.P. Nadda.
• The incident underscores growing tensions between media scrutiny and political intolerance, with calls for greater accountability and protection for journalists in the region.