The leadership of the Unions demanded prompt action against those who indulged in the unprecedented violent attack, as attempts to silence media was unacceptable.
TFM Desk
The Indian Journalists’ Union and Tripura Journalists Union condemned the violence and ransacking of the office of Pratibadi Kalam, leading daily in Melarmath locality, Agartala, on Wednesday afternoon by miscreants, in which three journalists were injured.
The leadership of the Unions demanded prompt action against those who indulged in the unprecedented violent attack, as attempts to silence media was unacceptable.
According to reports, the newspaper’s Editor and Publisher lodged an FIR alleging that after a BJP rally, its workers attacked and ransacked his office and burnt cars and two-wheelers parked outside the office.
“All papers and documents, computers, and CCTV cameras were destroyed while a huge contingent of police remained silent spectators and did nothing. The goons were armed with lathis and sharp-edged deadly weapons and one of our journalists, namely Prasenjit Saha, was hit on the back of his head by a sharp-edged weapon and injured seriously,” the FIR read.
In a statement, Tripura Journalists Union President Syed Sajjad Ali vehemently condemned the hooliganism and demanded stern action against the perpetrators. He visited the scene of the incident to take stock of the situation and reiterated that ‘under no circumstance attack on media in any manner would be tolerated.’
Joining him, IJU president and former Member of Press Council of India Geetartha Pathak and Secretary General and Vice President, International Federation of Journalists, Sabina Inderjit said the vandalising of the office by BJP workers must be viewed as a blatant act of bullying and attempt to silence the media. The police cannot be a mute spectator to such violence and must act immediately. The culprits must be brought to book and the ruling party must compensate the newspaper for the damages that has been done.