Bandipora, Oct 25: The Bandipora Working Journalists Association (BWJA) strongly condemns the unfortunate move by the administration of District Hospital Bandipora for filing a complaint against reputed journalist Danish Ali merely for highlighting genuine public grievances.
A few days ago, Danish Ali went live on social media after his cousin brother sustained injuries in a road accident at Papchan. In his live video, he expressed concern over the inordinate delay of more than an hour in arranging an ambulance for referral and pointed out instances of mismanagement at the hospital.
Instead of taking the criticism constructively and improving health care services, the hospital administration has chosen to target the journalist. Reports suggest that signatures of several doctors and staff members were allegedly taken forcibly on the complaint, and some of them are not even familiar with the journalist.
The Association wishes to make it clear that Danish Ali is not involved in any form of blackmailing nor has he ever blackmailed any officer of the Health Department. He has always upheld journalistic ethics and maintained professionalism in his reporting.
The BWJA firmly believes that filing complaints against journalists for doing their duty amounts to an attempt to stifle press freedom. Constructive criticism from the media should be viewed as an opportunity to improve governance, not as an act of defamation.
The Association urges the District Hospital administration to withdraw the complaint immediately and focus on improving healthcare facilities for the people of Bandipora.
The Bandipora Working Journalists Association reiterates its commitment to uphold the values of free, fair, and responsible journalism and stands in full solidarity with Danish Ali.
Secretary
Bandipora Journalists Association (BJA)
