AGARTALA: Tripura Governor R K Bais Saturday said that the relation between a democratically elected government and the media should be cordial when a delegation of journalists met him to submit a memorandum demanding that Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb withdraw his derogatory remarks against mediapersons.
The governor assured the mediapersons that he would discuss the matter with the chief minister, a statement by Tripura Assembly of Journalists (TAJ) whose delegation went to the Raj Bhavan to submit the memorandum to him said.
A six-member delegation of TAJ, an apex body of journalists in the state, met the governor as Deb did not pay heed to their demand that he withdraw the "threat and derogatory remarks" against media he made on September 11 at Sabroom in South Tripura district.
The governor gave a patient hearing to the complaints of the journalists and told the delegation that he would discuss the matter with the chief minister.
"Expressing his surprise over the issue, the governor said the relation between a democratically elected government and media should be cordial," the statement issued by TAJ said.
Deb, while laying the foundation stone for the first special economic zone at Sabroom in South Tripura district on September 11 had said that some newspapers are trying to confuse the people of the state about its COVID-19 situation and that he will "not forgive" them.
"A section of over enthusiastic newspapers are trying to confuse people. History will not forgive them, people of Tripura will not forgive them and I Biplab Deb will not forgive them. I do whatever I say, history is testimony to that," Deb had said.
This intimidatory statement on the part of the chief minister had a very adverse impact as two journalists, Ashok Dasgupta and Parashar Biswas were beaten up by BJP workers and supporters at Motai area of Belonia in south Tripura and Ambassa in Dhalai district, triggering a panic among all media persons in the state, the memorandum, which was made available to the media, said.
The memorandum alleged that the state government has been deliberately targeting and victimising the media by coercive means like filing police cases, issuing arbitrary notices for appearance, stopping advertisement, conducting raids by police in newspaper office without any reason and creating economic blockade against it.
The memorandum also said that a group in the CMO with vested interests have been spreading canards against individual journalists and media houses even for attending press conferences by opposition party leaders.