News Broadcasting
NBA, DUJ condemn attack on journalists outside Patiala House courts in Delhi
NEW DELHI / MUMBAI: The News Broadcasters Association (NBA) has condemned the assault by lawyers and others on journalists and cameramen, especially women journalists, who were reporting from Patiala House Court ON 15 February.
The incident occurred when JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar was to be produced in the Court.
Condemning the incident and terming it as an attack on the freedom of the press, NBA president Rajat Sharma called it a cowardly attack meant to intimidate journalists carrying out their work in disseminating news and information, a service that is essential for any democratic society.
Senior journalist and India Today Group consulting editor Rajdeep Sardesai said, “The journalists are rightly showing solidarity to what happened yesterday at the Patiala House. What happened yesterday was unexpected. The way the lawyers acted is just shocking. The journalists should definitely unite and stand as one against this.”
Expressing his doubts on the credibility of the lawyers present at the Patiala Court, he added, “Who are these lawyers? They behaved more like politicians. Denoting the media with such terms is just not accepted.”
NDTV India senior executive editor Ravish Kumar said, “It is good to see journalists showing solidarity and coming together but the problem is that there are still many journalists who have not united to fight against this. What happened yesterday in the premise of a court is shocking. It is the right of any person to get a lawyer. The terrorists also get lawyers and the lawyers have taken up such cases in the past. The problem is that the lawyers have started to behave like judges. They should follow the ethics taught to them in their law schools.”
CNN-IBN executive editor Bhupendra Chaubey opined, “I genuinely believe that this is a threat to the expression of one’s views in today’s politics. This type of lynch mob is dangerous and has to be tackled soon. It is good to see journalists coming together to fight this. This looks like a new definition of nationalism, which is being written now in our country. Nationalists and anti-nationalists are now defined by the ruling party but that is ideally supposed to be an individual’s decision. The way it has happened is just not acceptable.”
Earlier, the Delhi Union of Journalists had also condemned the attack at Patiala House as well as at the campus. The DUJ has given a call for observance of a Black Day on 19 February.
The Union strongly deplored the beating up of journalists, students and teachers in the Patiala House Courts by “goons.” Several of them including a few journalists were severely injured and had to be taken to the hospital.
The DUJ said it was “surprising that though there was a heavy presence of the Police, it refused to intervene despite repeated requests by those who were being beaten up.”
The DUJ demanded the immediate arrest of all those who indulged in this violence. “It is the responsibility of the police to provide protection to journalists who were discharging their duty,” it said.
Congress spokesman Kapil Sibal later said at a party briefing that a matter in this connection had been mentioned in the Supreme Court and was likely to be heard tomorrow (17 February).
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
