Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) today vehemently condemned the assault on journalists by police personnel during the Rath Jatra in Puri.
According to a press release from Sankha Bhawan, the incident involved journalists who were officially invited by the state government to cover the sacred event.
Dr. Lenin Mohanty, Media Coordinator and Spokesperson of BJD, stated in a press briefing that the Department of Information and Public Relations had arranged a special bus for accredited working journalists from Jaydev Bhavan, Bhubaneswar, to Puri.
However, upon reaching Puri, despite possessing cordon passes and identity cards, police denied them access and allegedly assaulted many senior journalists.
Several journalists sustained injuries in the attack. Senior journalist Ramesh Mohanty was seriously injured, while Prabhu Kalyan Mahapatra, Pradyumna Kumar Mohanty, Sanat Mishra, and Haraprasad Das suffered chest injuries.
Woman journalist Bijayita Tripathy was hospitalized with a severe hand injury. Other journalists were also injured, preventing them from performing their duties.
Dr. Mohanty highlighted that the Information and Public Relations Department makes special arrangements for media coverage of the Rath Jatra. He attributed this year’s incident to the “incompetence of the state government”.
The BJD has strongly condemned this “inhuman behavior by the police towards the fourth pillar of democracy”. The party is demanding immediate intervention from the Chief Minister to take action against the responsible officers who caused the chaos during the Rath Yatra.
The press release was issued by Dr. Priyabrata Majhi, Media Co-ordinator for the Biju Janata Dal.