New Delhi: Journalists’ bodies have expressed concerns over the unprecedented crackdown by security forces on mediapersons covering the protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar in Delhi on Saturday (October 10).As reported by The Wire, several journalists were detained by Delhi police and central forces on Saturday despite showing their press cards.“CPJ calls on @DelhiPolice to immediately release all detained journalists and media workers, return their equipment, investigate reports of physical abuse, and allow the press to cover the ongoing protests in New Delhi and the police response without interference,” the Committee to Protect Asia posted on X on Saturday.The CPJ said in its post that a free and independent press is essential to a democracy and urged authorities in India to respect journalists’ and media workers’ ability to report in the public interest and to ensure their safety while doing so.“CPJ is closely monitoring the situation and has confirmed the detention of Newslaundry reporters Ashwine Kumar Singh, Astha Savyasachi, and Anmol Pritam, and Scroll reporter Ayush Tiwari. We are working to identify other detained journalists and media workers. Newslaundry has also reported that police seized its reporters’ phones, while other reports indicate that journalists were physically manhandled,” it added.‘Journalism is not a crime, and neither is protest’The DIGIPUB News India Foundation has also strongly condemned the arbitrary and authoritarian action taken by Delhi Police against journalists, digital creators and citizens around the Jantar Mantar protest.“Reporters who were doing their job peacefully were detained even after showing their press credentials. Newslaundry has stated that Delhi Police seized the official phones its reporters were using for their work. This is not law enforcement. It is intimidation, and an assault on press freedom and constitutional rights,” said DIGIPUB in its statement.Detained for documenting a protest. Journalists at Jantar Mantar showed their ID cards and were taken anyway.DIGIPUB demands their immediate release. Journalism is not a crime.@DelhiGovDigital @LtGovDelhi @DelhiPolice @PIBHomeAffairs https://t.co/Suiq5bUQ6A— DIGIPUB News India Foundation (@DigipubIndia) October 10, 2026DIGIPUB demanded immediate release of all detained journalists, digital creators and protesters, and the return of all seized devices along with an immediate end to mass detentions of citizens exercising their right to peaceful assembly, accountability for any misconduct or brutality against detainees and an assurance that media persons can report freely and without obstruction.“Journalism is not a crime, and neither is protest. Asking questions, reporting the truth and raising one’s voice are the lifeblood of a democracy, not favours granted by the state. If the powerful cannot withstand being watched and challenged, the fault lies in their conduct, not in our cameras or the people’s voices. We call on the Government of India and Delhi Police to end this crackdown immediately and respect both the freedom of the press and the right to peaceful protest,” the DIGIPUB statement added on Saturday.The National Alliance of Journalists (NAJ) has also slammed the action against journalists and activists who faced police action on Saturday.Clear examples were available in Delhi today and its neighbourhood while the Jantar Mantar area resembles a police state fortress. The journalists were covering the ongoing agitation by CJP and various opposition parties in Delhi,” said the NAJ statement.The NAJ said in a joint statement today, it fully supports the Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) and various bodies like the Indian Women Press Corps (IWPC) and the Press Club of India (PCI) in condemning these attacks for quite some time.“These attacks are indeed ominous and a situation worse than the Emergency amounting to fascism and crushing all dissenting voices. More and more unity is the need of the hour as journalists’ rights and privileges are crushed, binding them to codes of bondage but curbing their right to wage revision periodically and even the right to have a proper Media Council of India, amidst the emerging wide spectrum media,” the NAJ statement added on Saturday.Earlier on Friday (October 9) the Editors Guild of India had expressed concern over reports of sexual assault against women journalists.“The Editors Guild of India expresses its gravest concern at the reported sexual assault against women journalists while they were carrying out their professional duties covering the protests at Jantar Mantar. The Guild notes with dismay that despite the serious nature of the allegation, the Delhi Police is yet to take cognisance of the matter,” said Editors Guild said in a statement on Saturday.