Kolkata scribes protest against ruling party's alleged attack on journalists across Bengal during Panchayat nomination coverage
Kolkata, Apr 11 (IBNS): Days after several media personnel covering the filing of nomination papers for upcoming Panchayat polls in West Bengal were brutally beaten up allegedly by state's ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC)'s activists at different locations across the state, Kolkata-based journalists staged protest and held a 'silent' march at city's downtown Esplanade area on Wednesday evening.
Wearing black bands on arms and covering their mouths with black scarfs, hundreds of city's journalists, cameramen and photojournalists took part in the protest rally which started from Mahatma Gandhi Statue area, near Kolkata Press Club, and ended at Esplanade crossing.
Since the process of nomination filing was started, supporters of all three leading opposition parties have been alleging that the leader-activists of ruling TMC are assaulting them and prevented their candidates from filing nominations.
It was also caught on camera that women candidates and female members of candidates from the opposition parties, who were on their way to submit nominations for Panchayat elections, were assaulted by alleged TMC members on road in broad daylight in presence of police.
When journalists and photojournalists of several media outlets tried to cover those attacks in several districts of West Bengal, they were allegedly assaulted and threatened to be killed by TMC men.
Latest on last day of filing nomination, Monday (Apr 9), a group of Kolkata-based journalists and photojournalists, who were covering the filing of nomination papers for South 24 Parganas district at Alipore which is under Kolkata Police's jurisdictions, were allegedly attacked by TMC activists.
Reporters and photographers from The Indian Express and ETV Group were allegedly thrashed while a senior photojournalist from Times of India, Biplab Mondal, alleged that he was forcibly undressed by the TMC goons.
The photographer also claimed that after being undressed, he was locked in a room near DM office at Alipore and the attackers threatened him to publish his 'half-nude' photos on social sites if he forcibly tried to cover the assignment.
Attacked media personnel alleged that police acted like spectators during the incident and refused to help them.
(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha ; Images from Facebook)
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