Anurag Thakur condemns attack on media freedom amid Sandeshkhali incident

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur has condemned the attack on media freedom in West Bengal, where a TV journalist reporting on Sandeshkhali horrors was 'taken away' by West Bengal Police late Monday evening.

Anurag Singh Thakur said, "It's unfortunate journalists are being prevented from reporting on the atrocities committed against women in a State whose CM is a woman."

He added that coercive action against journalists is nothing new in West Bengal.

The stifling of freedom of expression in West Bengal is unfortunate and amounts to the murder of democracy; the TMC government is flouting constitutional norms, he added.

The Minister said the West Bengal Government is trying to cover-up the truth as to how women are feeling insecure under Mamata Banerjee's rule, "Nothing can be worse than the fact that people who are committing atrocities against women are being patronised and the media is being silenced under a woman chief minister."

West Bengal Police arrested a journalist associated with Republic TV in Sandeshkhali on Monday.

On the arrest of a journalist associated with Republic TV by West Bengal Police in Sandeshkhali, Mayukh Ranjan Ghosh, Senior Editor at Republic Bangla, said, "We are utterly shocked that police without any 41A notice, without any 91A notice, have dragged a reporter on ground, who was reporting one of the biggest shocking incidents (Sandeshkhali violence) in recent times in India. They have dragged the person and they have taken, and manhandled him in a way that he was Sheikh Shahjahan."

"We are amazed to see Mamata Banerjee's police, the state police are behaving as if they have caught Sheikh Shahjahan... We are going to intensify our coverage in Sandeshkhali, it's utterly shocking. We are taking all the legal help. We are approaching the court in our capacity..," he added.

West Bengal's Sandeshkhali area has been witnessing massive unrest for over 10 days as women protestors are seeking justice against alleged atrocities committed by TMC leader Sheikh Shajahan and his aides.

Trinamool Congress leader and one of the associates of TMC strongman Shahjahan Sheikh, Shibu Hazra, who was arrested earlier in connection with the Sandeshkhali violence issue, was sent to police custody for eight days on Sunday.

After visiting West Bengal's Sandeshkhali, National Commission for Women's (NCW) Chairperson Rekha Sharma on Monday demanded the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.