The Puducherry Print and TV Journalists Association condemned what it called as coercive the take-over of the Kashmir Press Club by a group of journalists with the alleged assistance of the police and the administration on January 15.

R K Raja, the president of association, said in a press release that the re-registration of the Club by the group of journalists with the support of the administration is a conscious effort to crush the democratic course of holding elections to the club. Raja said what was stunning was the alleged audacity of the police to enter the premises of the Club without a warrant and in utter disregard of the law helping and abetting self-assertive group to take over the press club.

The association appealed to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah to issue instructions to the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha to investigate and restoration of the norms. The democratic process of elections to the Club should be ensured and the administration should ensure a tranquil atmosphere for the fairly chosen body to function, Raja said. ?

On Tuesday, political parties asked the Jammu and Kashmir administration to restore the Kashmir Press Club premises to the journalists' body, and provide an enabling atmosphere for holding free and fair elections to the Club.

On Monday, the J&K administration said the Club has ceased to exist, and took back the premises allotted to the largest journalists’ body in the Valley following alleged dissensions between two factions, one of which had tacit support from the government.

(With PTI Inputs)