KOLKATA: Protesting against police assault on more than a dozen scribes during Left Front’s ‘Nabanna Avijaan’ on Monday, journalists here covered their faces with black clothes and took out a silent rally from Rabindra Sadan area to Kolkata police headquarters Lalbazaar on Tuesday evening.
On Monday, journalists covering the event were beaten up and some of their cameras smashed during lathi-charge on the protesters on Mayo road in central Kolkata. The journalists had staged a dharna at the location of lathi-charge just after the police action on Monday.
Several journalist associations of the districts have extended solidarity to the protesting scribes. Eye-witnesses said that the police assault on journalists commenced shortly after a verbal spat between the journalists and ADCP Aparajita Rai and Special Task Force deputy commissioner Murlidhar Sharma during the Left Front’s protest.
Police officials have termed the incident ‘unfortunate’ and have promised a high-level inquiry into the matter. However, journalists in the city are mooting demanding a CBI inquiry into the incident. Politicians have also extended their support to the journalists.
While CPM state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra said that such action was not possible without the support of the chief minister, BJP leader Rahul Sinha said that the party would demand a judicial probe into the matter. However, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, also the home minister, has kept mum on the incident.