Mediapersons injured during Trinamool Congress' Hooghly rally

Kolkata, Feb 10 (UNI) Several mediapersons suffered injuries,some of them seriously, when a group of alleged Trinamool Congress supporters assaulted them at Bartelia in Hooghly district, the venue of Mamata Banerjee's public meeting later today.

Official sources here said the incident took place when a gang of unidentifed armed assailants came out of the meeting ground shouting anti-government slogans attacked the crew members and cameramen of several television news channels. Theyseverely assaulted them besides damaging their outdoor broadcasting (OB)vans. The assailants charged the scribes with being pro establishment.

At least three camera persons, who tried to film the episode, suffered multiple injuries and were rushed to a nearby hospital, the sources said, adding that though a number of senior Trinamool Congress leaders, including party MP Mukul Roy and MLAs like Mr Sougata Roy, Mr Sovandeb Chattopadhyay and Ms Sonali Guha were present nearby, none of them intervened.

Moreover, none of the hundreds of armed policemen, posted near the meeting ground, came to the rescue of the mediapersons.

But when the issue was brought to the notice of party supremo Ms Banerjee, who was on her way to the meeting ground, about 40 km from here, she denied the alleged involvement of her party workers in the 'unfortunate incident'. She described it as the handiwork of CPI(M) led ruling party workers. Her views were also echoed by several party leaders present at the spot.

However, Left Front leaders, including veteran CPI(M) leader Binoy Konar, Water Resources Minister Nandagopal Bhattacharya of the CPI and PWD Minister Kshiti Goswami(RSP) condemned the incident.They also questioned the role of the district police, deployed near the meeting ground to prevent such incidents.

Incidentally, this was the third major incident of assault on journalists allegedly by Trinamool Congress workers in the state in the last couple of months when the party's protest against the Singur and Nandigram land acquisition intensified.

UNI