‘Few pro- Indian political workers recorded statement inside BSF camp’
Enraged over what they call “anti Kashmir propaganda” people here in this remote border area of Bandipora are protesting against the Zee News Network from the last three days after the network telecasted the few ‘selected’ statements during an evening programme on Tuesday.
Gurez and Tulail area observed complete shutdown following the protests from Wednesday to express their anger against what they call “army sponsored, biased and communal” reporting by Indian Zee News Network.
Locals said that representatives of Zee News Network allegedly bribed few political workers who are also working for India Army and recorded their statements inside a BSF camp and later telecasted in the evening show on Tuesday.
“The biased Army sponsored programme was recorded and later telecasted to create divide among people in order to weaken the public sentiments,” Ahmed Mustafa, a local told Kashmir Post.
“We are appealing Supreme Court of India to take suo motu notice against the news network which put lives of thousands in risk just to gain the TRP,” Ahmed said.
As per the residents, Zee News Network on Tuesday evening telecasted some “anti Kashmir and anti-people programmes” which evoked prompt protest against the Network as well as people who featured in the programme.
Locals in the Gurez who are pretesting against the programme said that Zee News reporters had recorded the programme inside a BSF camp away from habitation after allegedly briefing the persons who are either pro-Indian political activists or working as porters with Indian Army.
“The persons shown in the news programme who spoke against Kashmir sentiment are either known Pro-freedom political workers or army porters,” said a local Ghulam Hassan.
The voice of few should not be taken as the voice of Gurez community, Hassan protestors said.
Enraged protesting Gurez residents condemned the “biased and Army supported journalism” of Zee News and appealed Journalist Associations across India and the world to investigate into the reporting telecasted by ZEE News which according to them has been recorded “after bribing few political and army workers to defame the voice of Jammu and Kashmir.”
Locals said besides having presences of more than 62,000 troopers amid 32,000 population Gurez has always sided with the voice of Kashmir and supported the movement from its beginning.
If official sources are to be believed there are 62,000 troopers based in around 10 units across 40 villages and hamlets in the area. The area remains closed for five months in the year while locals allege that the government is creating “planned artificial scarcity of commodities” so that people may depend on the army.
“Government is always cashing the situation with their hired agents so that people may depend on army but they can never kill over sentiments which we have towards our Kashmir brethren,” locals said.
Gurez residents have appealed people not to pay heed towards the “army backed, biased and communal” programme telecasted by Zee News Network.
Pertinently Gurez earlier observed three- day shutdown and staged protests against the Kashmir killing.
Traders Federation Bandipora has appealed people to maintain the unity in the area. President Federation Muhammad Yusuf Para while terming the Zee News reporting biased and communal appealed people not to pay heed to such reports which are aimed at ‘vitiating atmosphere” in the valley.
