Uproar in Assembly over Attack on Journalist

Bhubaneswar: Opposition Congress and BJP members stalled the House yesterday over attack on the journalist near Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s residence. They demanded stringent action against policemen for beating the journalist mercilessly during clashes between security forces and student-Congress activists.

Both the members of Congress and BJP sought apology from Chief Minister over the issue following which the House was adjourned for the day. Even the journalists, who were reporting from Assembly, boycotted the proceedings during post-lunch protesting the attack on the young journalist.

The government suspended five constables of IRB and ordered a probe against DCP Nitinjeet Singh and Airfield IIC Girija Shankar Chakraborty in connection with the attack on the journalist.

Congress Chief Whip Prasad Harichandan and senior BJP MLA Jaynarayan Mishra also visited the journalists, who were on dharna near Naveen Niwas. The agitating journalists met the CM after his return from a visit to Ganjam district. He assured them of justice.

Patnaik directed Prakash Mishra, Director General of Police (DGP) to probe the matter and ensure justice to the journalist.

The journalist was the worst victim in the clashes between security forces and student-congress activists. Subrakanta Padhiary, a young journalist working with a local daily, was beaten up mercilessly by the Jawans of India Reserve Battalion (IRB) in the presence of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and local Police Station inspector in-charge yesterday.

Subrakanta was attacked while covering the demonstration staged by student-Congress activists, who were demanding arrest of Raghunath Mohanty in a dowry harassment case and resignation of Higher Education Minister Badri Narayan Patra over +2 Physics paper leak. He was beaten even after showing his ID card to the policemen.

Police had resorted to lathicharge to disperse the protesters in which the student leader Satyajit Patnaik was seriously injured. Later, another team of students blocked the road in Master Canteen and gathered near Congress Bhavan. Police entered into the party office while chasing some party activists. Many student-Congress activists were injured in the incident. A havildar was also seriously injured in the clash. His stars were allegedly snatched and he was beaten up by some activists inside the Congress Bhavan.

Prior to the attack on student-Congress activists near Naveen Niwas, police had allegedly misbehaved with the women BJP workers, who were protesting there demanding the arrest of Raghunath Mohanty, who is still out of police reach in dowry torture case.