Over a dozen journalistswere attacked on Saturday while covering polls to the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation, which triggered strong reactions from several political parties, and Kolkata Press Club.
Anindya Sengupta, secretary of Kolkata Press Club, said in a statement that condemning the attack on such a large number of mediapersons, “will not suffice”.
“The police will have to immediately take action and ensure exemplary punishment for the culprits,” Mr Sengupta said.
S. Sabanayakan, president, The Indian Journalists’ Association also demanded “immediate arrests of the culprits and proper against them”. While Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had ordered a probe, the Opposition tore in the ruling Trinamool Congress for the attacks on media persons.
“Why these barbaric attacks on the journalists, reporting is their livelihood, it is their duty to serve news to the people. Why is the Trinamool so afraid when these journalists are serving the truth? ” Left Front mayoral candidate and former state minister Asim Dasgupta said.
Two journalists of ABP Ananda - Aritrik Bhattacharya and Prakash Sinha - and the channel’s cameraperson Partha Sarathi Chakraborty were attacked by a mob while they were reporting about booth capturing in ward number 31 in Bidhannagar area. The channel called the attacks “pre-planned” and alleged “miscreants harboured by the state’s ruling Trinamool Congress” carried out the assaults.
Not only were journalists threatened and attacked. Things went beyond it when a woman journalists from another local channel 24 Ghanta was threatened with “ rape” and abuses were hurled at her.
Photojournalists from several newspapers were also attacked and their cameras were snatched.
