CJP Delhi protest: Filmmaker alleges harassment, claims ‘BJP-backed goons broke camera lens’, shares video as ‘proof’ | Today’s news
Independent filmmaker Nihit, 23, claimed he was harassed by a group of people he described as “BJP-backed thugs” during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar in Delhi on 10 October. He also claimed that one of them forcibly videotaped the incident, shared his camera lens and shared it.
In a video shared on Instagram, Nihit said, “BJP goons harassed me and broke my camera.”
(LiveMint could not verify the authenticity of the video)
He also recounted the incident in a detailed account shared with LiveMint.
According to Nihit, he was documenting the protest when he noticed the group creating a ruckus and turned his camera towards them. He claimed that people started abusing and harassing him after which he moved out of the place.
However, one person allegedly followed him and grabbed his camera lens. “He grabbed my lens and pulled so hard that the lens broke,” Nihit claimed, identifying the person as Gaurava Hindu.
He further claimed that he was surrounded by 10 to 15 people while filming the events, although the number could have been higher. He then moved on to a group of freelance journalists sitting nearby, they intervened and the people reportedly left.
The incident took place outside a Starbucks outlet in Connaught Place, he said.
What happened after Nihit approached the Delhi Police?
Nihit said he subsequently went to the Connaught Place police station to report the incident. However, he claimed that the police initially asked if he had permission to film at the location.
He said the officers then handed him a piece of paper and asked him to write down the details of what happened. According to Nihit, the police informed him that his complaint had been lodged and that it would be looked into on Monday.
“I went to the Connaught Place police station. The police asked me if I had permission to shoot. Then they gave me a piece of paper and told me to write the whole incident. They said they have filed my complaint and will look into it on Monday,” he recalled.
“I don’t know if I have the financial and mental strength to continue this.
Nihit said he wasn’t sure he had the financial and emotional resources to deal with the complaint, noting that the damaged camera lens was critical to his work.
“To be honest, I’m not sure about my next step. My father is an RSS member. He doesn’t want me to pursue this case. He thinks it’s my fault that I went there. I have absolutely no support from my family,” the filmmaker said.
He added: “I’m just a 23-year-old filmmaker trying to make a documentary. I don’t know if I have the financial and mental strength to keep going. The lens has been my livelihood.”.”
A force of 41,000 security personnel was deployed across the capital on Saturday to prevent a planned protest demanding Kumar’s resignation. The massive security crackdown resulted in 7,000 detentions and left several parts of Delhi deserted.
