MALAPPURAM: In a blatant assault on media freedom, RSS-BJP activists barged into Malappuram Press Club here on Thursday and attacked two employees of Chandrika newspaper — reporter Shahabas Vellila and photographer Fuad Saneen.The two media persons were chased by RSS-BJP activists while they tried to capture visuals of an assault against a bike rider during a rally organised by the RSS in protest against the recent attack on its office in Munduparamba.
Both Saneen and Vellila were standing inside the Press Club while the rally was approaching the Civil Station via the Malappuram-Manjeri Road. They tried to capture the visuals as RSS workers attacked bike rider Abdulla Fawas.Angry RSS workers chased the media persons as they sought shelter inside the Press Club. A few workers managed to barge into the building and assaulted them. Saneen and Fawas are undergoing treatment at the Malappuram Cooperative Hospital. IUML state general secretary K P A Majeed, party district general secretary U A Latheef, CPM district secretary E N Mohandas and MSF national president T P Ashrafali visited the hospital.
The victims and media persons alleged laxity on part of the police. They alleged that the police committed lapses in arresting the assailants even though senior officers were alerted soon after the incident. “The march was on and the police could have easily seized the assailants from the rally,” said one of the Press Club functionaries.
According to Vellila, Malappuram SI B S Binu justified the assailants while he complained about the attack. “He even asked us to wear identity cards inside the Press Club. Instead of speeding up action against the criminals, he tried to whitewash the RSS workers by saying that they didn’t know the victims were journalists,” said Vellila.
The litany of complaints continued while the police officers arrived at the hospital to record statements. Malappuram ASI Ramachandran and constable Anas M shouted at bystanders. Anas tried to capture the images of bystanders alleging that they prevented the police from performing their duty and this led to public skirmish.
The officers returned without recording any statement. Later, a team led by Malappuram DySP Jaleel Thottathil and SI Binu arrived at the hospital to meet the victims.Binu was allegedly reluctant to record the statement of bike rider Fawas and register a separate case of assault.Later, the police registered cases against RSS activists for holding a protest without permission and the assault.
Political leaders condemned the attack. Congress leader V M Sudheeran demanded stringent action against the assailants and asked the government to ensure press freedom in the state.A protest rally was held in Malappuram under the aegis of Kerala Union of Working Journalists and Kerala Newspaper Employees Federation.