Protest in Ballia against journalists' arrest over UP Board paper leak

The three journalists were arrested in connection with the recent paper leak though police have not yet been able to specify their role.

Ballia (UP): Journalists here took out a procession on Friday against the arrest of three scribes in connection with the Class 12 exam paper leak and demanded their immediate release. The journalists, under the banner of Ballia Samyukta Patrakar Sangharsh Samiti, took out the procession from the town hall to protest against the arrest of Ajit Kumar Ojha, Digvijay Singh and Manoj Gupta. The three journalists were arrested in connection with the recent paper leak though police have not yet been able to specify their role.

Various political parties, business organizations and common people have also supported the movement of journalists. The protesting journalists beat thalis (plates) and clapped to protest against the arrests. The journalists raised slogans against the district administration. The procession turned into a demonstration after reaching the collectorate premises. People of various political parties, businessmen and social organizations including former MLA Surendra Singh, SP leader and former president of Ballia Municipal Council, Laxman Gupta, joined the demonstration.

The journalists are demanding the suspension of the District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police, immediate release of the arrested journalists and a high-level inquiry into the matter. Senior SP leader Ram Govind Chaudhary has announced his support to the journalists' movement. He has alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has no faith in democracy and democratic institutions.

Chaudhary said it is highly condemnable to act on the fourth pillar of democracy to cover up its failures in the exam leak case. The Samajwadi Party also gave a memorandum addressed to the Governor through the District Magistrate on Thursday. Earlier, on Monday, under the banner of the Joint Journalist Sangharsh Samiti, the journalists had demanded the immediate release of the three journalists and to punish the guilty officials by conducting a high-level inquiry into the matter. It is noteworthy that police have arrested over 50 people in connection with the exam paper leak. After the English paper of Class 12 was leaked, the state board had cancelled the examination in 24 districts, including Ballia.

PTI