Journos Protest Attack on Lokmat Offices, Chavan Pledges Action

Update

A delegation led by Rajya Sabha member Vijay Darda and CNN-IBN Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai met Chavan at his official residence Varsha in Malabar Hill on Saturday.

The delegation has demanded the Chief Minister to make attacks on media a non-bailable offence.

“Chavan has assured us that he will ensure strictest possible action against those behind the attack,” Sardesai told reporters after the meeting.

“We are confident that there will be prompt action against those who engineered the attack,” Darda said after meeting Chavan.

“The Chief Minister assured the delegation that no one will be spared if their involvement in the attack was established,” he said.

…In protest against attacks on IBN-Lokmat and IBN-7’s offices in Mumbai and Pune, several hundred journalists and non-journalist staff of different media organizations assembled at south Mumbai’s Hutatma Chowk – a popular place for demonstrations – to peacefully express their solidarity with the staff of the TV channels.

A delegation of media persons, comprising of top functionaries of the two channels, called on chief minister Ashok Chavan and registered their protest with him over the Sena’s attack on the media and freedom of speech.

Maharashtra Governor SC Jamir strongly deplored the assault on the media houses and on its editor Nikhil Wagle.

Jamir, in his strongly worded statement, instructed the state government to take “exemplary steps to stop such attacks on the media and media persons in future”.

Describe assault as shameful and shocking, the governor said that it was the third major attack on the Mumbai media in the last 18 months and such incidents did great harm to the image of the state and its people.