By Ishan Kukreti

In a meeting called by the Press Club of India today, tempers soared high over the issue of a journalist's immolation in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

The meeting was followed by a march to Mulayam Singh's residence where the protesters raised slogans and demanded justice for the UP journalist.

Journalist Jagendra Singh was burnt alive on June 1st, after the police raided his house. A minister, Ram Murti Singh Verma, was also implicated in the crime.

S.P. Singh, a senior bureaucrat from Lucknow, present at the meeting, told NewsGram that the government has not taken any action against the minister while the police officers have merely been suspended.

He also said that a gathering will take place in Lucknow on June 25th to show support and solidarity with the journalist community in general and Jagendra Singh in particular.

"Jagendra Singh had accused the minister in his dying statement and this is a prima facie evidence. The government is hesitating in taking an action against Murti Singh Verma, even though he is a wanted criminal under IPC section 302," Singh said.

The Press Club of India has decided to fight it out with the government till justice is served and proper compensation is made to the victim's family.

"The press club has brought all the journalists together to protest against this. The meeting today had journalists from many national level organizations who condemned the issue. There are about 300 press clubs in India and we have approached most of them. If nothing is done by the government then journalists all over the country are going to take action," said Rahul Jalali, President of the Press Club of India.