journalist killingAgartala/New Delhi, Nov 23 (PTI) Clashes broke out in thebandh called today by opposition BJP and Congress in Tripurain protest against the killing of a journalist inside thebattalion headquarters of Tripura State Rifles (TSR) injuring11 workers of rival parties, Police said.
As a mark of protest against the killing of Sudip DattaBhaumick, a reporter of a Bengali daily 'Syandan Patrika', inAgartala on Tuesday, all newspapers barring 'Daily DesherKatha', the mouthpiece of the ruling CPI-M, left theireditorial columns blank today.
Television channels also displayed a picture of thejournalist every hour, said Pranab Sarkar, Secretary ofTripura Journalists Union.
While the BJP called a dawn-to-dusk bandh demanding a CBIinquiry and resignation of Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, theCongress called a 24-hour bandh for a CBI probe into thekilling.
Shops and markets were closed and vehicles were off theroads in the state in view of the bandh.
Schools, colleges, banks and financial institutionsremained closed and attendance was reportedly poor ingovernment offices.
The killing of the 48-year-old journalist was condemnedby media bodies with the Editors Guild of India demandingthat the chief minister bring to book the culpritsimmediately. It comes just two months after a local televisionjournalist was killed in Tripura.
The Press Council of India (PCI) also sought a reportfrom the Tripura government on the killing.
Superintendent of police (police control), HarkumarDebbarma said of the 11 injured political workers, six werefrom the BJP and three from Congress and while two belonged tothe ruling CPI-M.
He said seven were injured at Pratapgarh in clashesbetween the CPI-M supporters and those of BJP and Congresswith CPI-M supporters.
Debbarma said another three were injured in a clashbetween CPI-M and BJP supporters at Boxanagar in Sipahijaladistrict while one was injured at Kukicherra in South Tripuradistrict.
A vehicle carrying a patient was damaged allegedly by BJPsupporters at Nalua in South Tripura district, Debbarma said.
President of the state unit of BJP, Biplab Deb saidthough the party is against the politics of bandh this timethey are helpless because two journalists have been killed inthe state in the space of two months.
The ruling CPI-M opposed the bandhs saying the oppositionparties were politicising the killing of the journalists eventhough the state government had taken prompt action.
"The Guild demands that Tripura Chief Minister ManikSarkar have the assailants swiftly brought to justice," said arelease by the Editors Guild of India.
"The Guild also expresses its deep concern that Bhowmik'skilling is not an isolated incident in Tripura," it added.
The Guild said another incident within months isindicative of the seriousness of the threat to journalists inTripura and the need for the state government to pay heed andtake steps urgently to provide safety for journalists.
The Press Council of India(PCI) chairman taking suo-motucognisance of the incident sought a report from the chiefsecretary, the secretary (Home), Director General of Police,Government of Tripura and Commandant of 2nd battalion of TSR.
A three-member special investigation team (SIT) headedby DIG, Southern Range, Arindam Nath was formed yesterday toinvestigate the killing, the state government said in astatement.PTI JOY MP GSNGSN.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.