Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Agriculture Minister Ghulam Hanjura courted controversy on Monday after his security guards assaulted a journalist in Srinagar for allegedly protesting against lewd comments passed at his wife by the minister's guards.


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“J&K Agriculture Minister Ghulam Hanjura's cavalcade passed us and his security staff passed a lewd comment at my wife. I went to speak to the minister about it, before I reached him I think he signalled something to his guard and they thrashed me,” Javed Malik, a senior editor with Greater Kashmir newspaper, said.


Hanjura is a leader of the People's Democratic Party (PDP).


Malik was travelling in his car with his wife in Bagh-e-Mehtab area of Srinagar city when the incident occurred.


The senior journalist said that the guards kept beating him despite him having proved his identity. His wife also pleaded the guards not to harm him but her requests fell on deaf ears.


Javed later said: “I filed a complaint with the police because I was beaten at the minister's behest.”


The incident in Jammu and Kashmir comes at a time when the media fraternity is feeling increasingly insecure over their security. A journalist was burnt alive in Uttar Pradesh, while another was killed in Madhya Pradesh recently.