A group of journalists held a demonstration in front of Arunachal Bhavan in Delhi demanding immediate arrest of those involved in the attack on Tonggam Rina, 34, Associate Editor of Arunachal Times, in Itanagar yesterday when she was entering her office.
The Editors Guild of India said it appeared to be an act of those who want to "gag the press".
"The attack was not only a threat to the freedom of press. But it indicates that those who want to gag the press were taking recourse to physical harm by taking to arms," its president T N Ninan said in a statement.
He said that the chief minister should announce a through probe into the incident and bring to book the culprits.
Rina, who is also the president of the State Union of Working Journalists, was critically injured in the attack.
Expressing deep concern over the incident, South Asia Media Commission said that this is not the first case.
"There is urgent need for the government and civil society members to send a clear message that targeting of media persons would not be tolerated and would invite the severest possible action," said K K Katyal, President of SAMC, in a statement.
The Arunachal Press Club and Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists unanimously resolved to shut down all media houses in the state tomorrow in protest against the attack.
A meeting of APC and APUWJ in Itangar also decided to boycott news and advertisements of state government for 15 days which would be reviewed if the culprits were not arrested.
The organisations demanded that the case be fast-tracked through a special court or handed over to CBI forthwith. MORE
