Daijiworld Media Network - Mysuru (SP)

Mysuru, May 9: State education minister, Tanveer Sait, tendered unconditional apology to Times of India (TOI) daily reporter, Shivendra Aras, for the atrocity committed on him by the minister's supporters during his campaign in the city on Monday May 7 and for keeping the reporter under house arrest briefly.

Sait said in a press statement that journalist, Shivendra Aras, was in order in visiting ward No 62 in the city when he was campaigning for the party for reporting the developments. "Since the last two days, some vested interests, duly supported by certain media houses driven by malicious intentions, were found to be publishing reports duly glorifying minor incidents with the tacit purpose of indulging in my character assassination. In this backdrop, a party activist had sought identity card from Aras which he did not possess. I came to know that because of this, the party activists did not behave with the reporter properly. Later, I invited our party activist concerned and Shivendra Aras to the house where I was present and saw that the party activist tendered an apology. On behalf of the erring party worker, I too am seeking apology for the incident," he stated.

District union of journalists held a protest on Tuesday, to condemn the goonda-like behaviour and threat posed to reporter Shivendra Aras. The journalists who came together near the district court wore black bands and raised slogans against Tanveer Sait.