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Published 28 Jul, 2016 07:42pm

JuD chief lauds Indian journalist for criticising state violence in held Kashmir

A section of the Indian media has faced criticism by fellow journalists for speaking against the human rights abuses carried out by Indian security forces in India-held Kashmir, however, Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed praised the Indian journalists for supporting Kashmiri people.

India's senior journalist and consulting editor with NDTV, Barkha Dutt, spoke against the state's atrocities in held Kashmir following which she was met with criticism by Times Now President and Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami.

Goswami criticised the section of "pseudo-liberals" in his programme, without naming any, for "compromising national security" and "supporting Pakistan".

"How long will we be silent against these elements?" he thundered. "Do these people compromise our national security or not? Your and my security. And if they do, which we know they do, why do you think we let them get away, why don't we take on these people?"

Saeed, however, lauded Dutt for her stance on the recent wave of violence in Kashmir that has claimed at least 60 innocent lives.

Talking to a private TV channel, Saeed said: "India accuses me of wrongdoings to cover for its terrorist activities when I talk about Kashmir. But, there are good people like Barkha Dutt."

However, Dutt took to the popular social media site — Twitter — to criticise Saeed.

In his Tuesday night's programme, Goswami hinted towards Dutt and demanded trial against "certain sections of Indian media".

"I agree bring them to trial," he said. "I say not bringing them to trial compromises my country further, and I don't care if some of these people are in the media. Bring them to trial too."

This time Dutt took to Facebook, which has been under severe criticism for blocking accounts of the people coming out in support of Burhan Wani, to respond to Goswami.

These events underscore a clear hostility among the Indian media on the recent wave of violent government crack down in the held Kashmir.

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