No country for press freedom? Goons thrash COVID-19 recovered journalist in Tripura for criticising Biplab Deb

Even as the nation outrages about a Navy veteran being beaten up by Sena goons, a Tripura journalist was brutally thrashed by goons for criticising Tripura CM Biplab Deb.

It came after Deb had asked state media not to publish stories critical of the state government. Parashar Biswas, who works with a Bengali Daily was thrashed in his home.

He had recently recovered from COVID-19 and made the video while admitted in a centre.

He was critically injured and taken to state hospital. Subal Dey told NDTV: "He was attacked within a day after the Chief Minister issued a threat against the media and within 12 hours of his Facebook post. We suspect this attack to have been carried out by BJP members."

The BJP has denied the allegation. Biswas had warned Deb on Facebook, urging him not to threaten the media.

BJP has been at the forefront of slamming Shiv Sena in Mumbai after the goons from the party thrashed a Navy veteran and a complaint was filed against Kangana Ranaut for using the word ‘tu’ to refer to Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray

Tripura journalists' body on Sunday took umbrage over Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb's recent comment to "not forgive" newspapers creating confusion" about the COVID-19 situation in the state, giving the BJP leader "three days" to take back his remark.

Deb's media advisor Sanjoy Kumar Mishra, however, said his comments were taken out of context and distorted.

The CM, while laying the foundation stone for the first special economic zone at Sabroom in South Tripura district on Friday, had said, "Some newspapers are trying to confuse people, getting over excited... History will not forgive them, people of Tripura will not forgive them and I, Biplab Deb, will not forgive them.

"I do whatever I say, history is testimony to that." The speech, which went viral on media, quickly drew the ire of scribes, who held a meeting on Sunday under the aegis of Tripura Assembly of Journalists and decried Deb's comments.

"We condemn the undemocratic and unconstitutional comments from the chief minister. We hope he will withdraw his remark within the next three days," Chairperson Subal Kumar Dey said.

Dey also claimed that journalists are facing threats and being assaulted in different parts of Tripura following Deb's statement.

"Two journalists have been assaulted in the last 24 hours. We are deeply anxious and have decided to approach Governor R K Bais, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Editors Guild of India...," he said.

Dey, who is also the president of Agartala Press Club, alleged that the ruling BJP is issuing regular threats to media organisations.

"The state is trying to enslave media persons. State government orders are issued to choke journalists' voices," he said.

Mishra, in defence of the chief minister, said the Tripura government is committed to the freedom of the press.

"We have always tried to help the media, but a few local newspapers are trying to work with some agenda and that's not right," he said.

With input from agencies

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