Reporters from the print and electronic media on Wednesday boycotted the post-Cabinet press conference of the Maharashtra Chief Minister, Mr Prithviraj Chavan, and the Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Ajit Pawar, in protest against the latter's alleged remarks on the manhandling of a cameraman by the police last week.

At a recent public meeting in Nanded district, a cameraman of a news channel was manhandled when he was video-recording a farmer who had interrupted the Deputy Chief Minister's speech to raise an issue. Mr Pawar's supporters tried to prevent the video-recording, leading to an altercation with journalists.

The police intervened and forcibly dispersed them; in the melee some media persons were manhandled. Mr Pawar allegedly talked of banning media persons from such events on the occasion.

Scribes' plea

A delegation of journalists under Patrakar Halla Virodhi Kruti Samiti (a committee for protection of journalists) had recently met Mr Chavan and the Governor, Mr K. Sankaranarayanan, to complain against Mr Pawar's behaviour.

The delegation also pointed out that in the recent past there had seen a spate of attacks on journalists across the State and it was high time the Maharashtra Government enacted a law to make attacks on journalists a non-bailable offence.

The Convenor of the committee, Mr S.M. Deshmukh, said that the committee was firm on seeking an unconditional apology from Mr Pawar. The police inspector and other policemen who roughed up the journalists should be suspended and Nanded's Superintendent of Police transferred immediately, he said.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW