In rallies across the country spearheaded by the online Cockroach Janta Party movement, protest signs branded TV channels as "India's worst enemies", and activists criticised "lapdog" media said to be aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration.The hostility underscored a widening gulf between legacy networks and a growing ecosystem of independent digital outlets that many young Indians increasingly turn to for news.At New Delhi's Jantar Mantar protest site, many students said they relied on social media and independent platforms."It is disheartening to see news channels," said Sukhjeet Narula, 28, a software professional."They brand every protest anti-national."The immediate backlash saw protesters target TV journalists.Dev Kotak, a reporter with prominent English-language network Times Now, said a crowd in New Delhi threw water at him, but that quickly escalated into slaps and kicks."There was anger simmering around me and I was scared for my life," the 36-year-old told AFP.Videos of an exhausted Kotak running behind security personnel as protesters pursue him spread on social media.Three of his colleagues were also harassed.In other footage verified by AFP, a reporter with Zee TV was heckled while broadcasting live from a protest in Mumbai.Another video showed a journalist being chased by a crowd in the eastern city of Patna.'Conspiracies'The Times Network said they had covered the protests in an "entirely neutral manner" but their journalists were still "assaulted in the most reprehensible manner".