What began as what the organisers describe as a “peaceful” movement, the protest by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) is increasingly witnessing disturbing incidents of violence and intimidation on the ground. Over the past several weeks, multiple journalists from different media organisations were heckled, threatened, manhandled and even physically attacked while covering the CJP protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.
The latest incident, involving a Times Now reporter, has once again raised serious concerns about the safety of journalists reporting from the protest site.
Times Now reporter assaulted by mob while covering protest
The latest incident took place on Tuesday, 21st July, when Times Now reporter Dev Kotak was assaulted by a large mob while covering the ongoing CJP protest at Jantar Mantar. According to Kotak, he and his cameraman, Rajesh Sharma, had gone to interview CJP co-founder Saurav Das, whom he had interviewed several times during the last 23 days of continuous reporting from the protest site.
Kotak said Das was speaking on stage when they reached the venue, so the media team decided to wait for their turn. As the atmosphere at the protest site became tense, volunteers advised them to leave temporarily and return after an hour. After that, Kotak and his cameraman started walking towards the Jantar Mantar garden side, where they were surrounded by protesters.
TIMES NOW reporter Dev Kotak assaulted at Jantar Mantar
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) July 21, 2026
A mob of over 100 people attacked me. This was a case of mob lynching. They kept hitting me, punching me throughout… Some protesters formed a human chain and saved me…: Dev Kotak (@pencilpatrakar) tells @MadhavGK pic.twitter.com/MxKCg9zakZ
“Just as we were getting out and going towards the Jantar Mantar garden side, we started getting heckled,” Kotak recalled. According to the reporter, the situation quickly escalated from verbal abuse to physical assault. “What began as verbal heckling quickly turned into physical violence,” he said, adding, “There were slaps, kicks, punches and even water bottles thrown at us.”
Kotak further explained that more than 100 people became part of the attacking mob. According to him, protesters repeatedly accused the media of being dishonest and shouted, “You don’t tell our story. You are dishonest.”
Having reported from the protest since its first day, Kotak said he personally knew many organisers and volunteers, having interviewed two of the three co-founders, including Saurav Das and Abhijeet Dipke, on multiple occasions. Despite this, he said that he was left exposed while volunteers remained behind the barricades.
“It was a case of mob lynching. They kept hitting and punching me throughout as I tried to make my way out. More people kept coming,” he said. The reporter added that his shirt and jeans were torn during the assault. His wristwatch was reportedly snatched, his mobile phone went missing, and his spectacles were forcibly taken away.
Dev Kotak, a reporter with Times now, was attacked by a mob of protesters at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. This is absolutely disgraceful. You can request a reporter to leave the spot if you don't want him/her around but resorting to violence is absolutely unjustified. pic.twitter.com/wCsTEswJ8t
— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) July 21, 2026
“I wear glasses all the time and pleaded with them to leave them because I cannot see without them. But they snatched them away. At one point, I could feel someone pulling my phone out of my pocket,” Kotak said. He added that he was eventually knocked to the ground while trying to escape. According to Kotak, a few protesters later intervened, formed a human shield around him and helped him leave safely.
The incident has once again sparked debate over the safety of journalists covering protests and whether media personnel can perform their professional duties without fear of violence.
Female journalists groped and attacked
In another incident that has gone viral online, two female journalists were groped and attacked while covering the second day of the “Sansad Chalo” protest on Tuesday, 21st July.
The women journalists were assaulted while carrying out their professional responsibilities as demonstrations continued in the national capital. While complete details about the incident and possible injuries are still emerging, the videos circulating online have added to growing concerns over the treatment of journalists, especially women reporters, at the protest venue.
Where is @IndEditorsGuild now? https://t.co/9dDTNjFl70
— Alok Bhatt (@alok_bhatt) July 21, 2026
Attacks on journalists have been reported since Day 1 of the protest
The latest incidents are not isolated. Journalists’ intimidation and harassment at the CJP protest have been almost since the movement began on 6th June.
On the very first day of the protest, OpIndia journalist Anurag Mishra had a similar experience while trying to interact with CJP supporters about their demands. Mishra had asked a simple question: why the turnout at Jantar Mantar appeared relatively small despite CJP claiming to have millions of followers on social media.
A few days ago, these cockroaches were abusing PM Modi for "not taking questions."
— Mr Sinha (@Mrsinha) June 6, 2026
Now, the same cockroaches tried to heckle @OpIndia_com reporter for asking questions, while calling him "Godi Media."
He stands alone. He stands tall. And he asks questions that these… pic.twitter.com/TluAElXS04
The question angered several supporters, who surrounded him and began shouting slogans of “Godi Media”. Mishra was repeatedly heckled and intimidated even though he was simply conducting interviews as part of his reporting assignment.
The incident became one of the earliest examples of journalists facing hostility at the protest despite CJP supporters claiming to be fighting for freedom of expression.
Another journalist from Zee News also reportedly faced a similar situation at the protest site. While covering the demonstrations, several protesters charged towards him while shouting “Godi Media” slogans. The situation became tense before Delhi Police personnel intervened and escorted the journalist away from the crowd.
ABP News reporter also targeted by protesters
Another case that has resurfaced in recent days involves an ABP News reporter who was manhandled while covering the same protest.
Although the incident dates back to early June 2026, the video regained widespread attention on social media on 19th and 20th July as the CJP protest intensified.
The viral footage shows the ABP News reporter being surrounded by a large group of protesters who repeatedly shouted “Godi Media Go Back!” slogans. The crowd booed him, interrupted his reporting and physically manhandled him, creating what many described as an intimidating and near-lynching-like situation.
इसके जिम्मेदार अंजना, रूबिका, चित्रा, सुधीर जैसे लोग हैं। भुगतना फील्ड रिपोर्टर को पड़ता है। इस बहादुर रिपोर्टर की सहनशीलता को नमन है, जिन्होने सारी आवाजों को इग्नोर कर अपने Work पर फोकस रखा। pic.twitter.com/EBQkC731Qz
— Sachin Gupta (@Sachingupta) June 6, 2026
The video has once again drawn attention as fresh allegations of attacks on journalists continue to emerge from the protest site.
Left-liberal journalists criticised over reactions to attacks
As the video of CJP protestors manhandling the ABP reporter went viral online again, the left liberal media and the extended anti-BJP cabal cheered and justified the attack.
Reacting to one of the viral videos on X on 19th July, The Wire’s Arfa Khanum Sherwani wrote, “It hurts to see reporters in this state. When star anchors spread hatred and Modi propaganda day and night in the studio, the junior reporter in the field has to pay the price.”
Arfa’s “it hurts” remarks should not be mistaken for genuine concern but a deranged enjoyment of watching those not ideologically aligned with her getting heckled by a frenzied mob that claims to be protesting against a ‘fascist’ government.
Similarly, Vijaita Singh, Deputy Editor at The Hindu, responded to another video by urging people to distinguish between “hate-spewing TV news anchors/presenters/senior journalists and TV reporters, most of whom are extremely hardworking.”
Singh justified the mob lynching of journalists she and her ideological cabal declare “hate-spewing”. This is blatant glorification of ‘mob justice’, which the Islamo-leftists vehemently criticise when carried out by mobs not aligned with them ideologically.
The social media posts by Arfa Khanum Sherwani and Vijaita Singh were not about the danger the non-left journalists were in, or that outrageous mob assault against journalists; it was about issuing a cleverly worded justification for the mob’s attack.
With repeated allegations of journalists being heckled, assaulted and intimidated, from the first day of the protest to the latest attack on the Times Now team, the incidents have reignited concerns over press freedom, the safety of reporters on the ground and the growing hostility faced by media personnel while covering public protests.
