Mangalore: Attack on reporter - Assaulters are Indian Taliban, say protestors
Pics: Ramesh Pandith
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (VM)
Mangalore, Feb 7: The members of Karnataka Komu Souharda Vedike and PUCL on Thursday February 7 condemned the attack on Harish Putran, reporter of city-based Karavali Ale newspaper, during a protest staged in front of the DC's office here.
The protestors shouted slogans stating that the attackers had violated the journalist's freedom and termed them 'Indian Taliban'.
"The attackers are not protectors of culture, but Indian Taliban," they said.
Addressing the protestors, B V Seetharam, chief editor of Karavali Ale daily said this was not the first time a journalist had been attacked. He termed the assaulters as 'Taliban forces' and said that the attack happens whenever something is said against them. "Similarly, in this case, our reporter Putran was attacked as on February 6 he had written an article claiming that Hindu Jagrana Vedike activists had close links with with the drug mafia," he added.
"In addition, we are also receiving threat calls from them," he claimed.
"In this regard we have already filed a case in Suratkal police station and have contacted Justice Markandey Katju, chairman of Press Council of India. Police are not taking the matter seriously which shows that they are under pressure from top officials," he alleged, urging the police to book the attackers under non-bailable charges.
Ali Hassan, convener of Muslim Central Committee said the attackers are strongly backed by police and hence such kinds of incidents are frequently occuring. "If police do not respond in a positive way, then we do not need them. People are already commenting that the police department is the worst of all," he said.
"If this continues, we will gather more people and intensify our protest," he warned.
Suresh Bhat Bakrabail, president of Karnataka Komu Souharda Vedike, P B D’Sa, vice-president of PUCL among others were present.
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