Protesting against growing attacks on mediapersons, journalists in Kamalpur in Dhalai district of Tripura have boycotted chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb accusing him of instigating criminals and compelling police not to take action against the perpetrators of media.
The chief minister had gone to Kamalpur in Dhalai district to attend a programme. However, no journalist covered the event.
President of Kamalpur Press Club and veteran journalist Supriyo Datta said that attacks on media have been continuing since the first day of the new government took over. The government utterly failed to address the basic needs of the people and during COVID-19 pandemic, Biplab Deb was exposed badly.
“It is beyond imagination that corona-infected patients died from lack of oxygen supply in the medical college. When media wrote the news, CM Biplab Deb became angry and threatened openly and afterwards everyday journalists are attacked by miscreants. Adding to this, thousands of newspapers were burnt down for writing on corruption of the government,” he said.
Datta added that after the warning of chief minister Biplab Deb, ruling party workers have been attacking the media and police are protecting them.
“On November 7, DIG (Southern Range) Soumitra Dhar behaved like a BJP cadre with senior editors and journalists when they met with him seeking action against the criminals involved in newspaper burning,” he added.