Kolkata: Several mediapersons were beaten up on Wednesday allegedly by the members of a right-wing group at a programme here, police said.
#Kolkata: 14 members of a Muslim family allegedly converted to Hinduism at an event by Hindu Samhati. Journalists attacked by Hindu Samhati workers at the venue, reportedly when they tried to speak to the family. pic.twitter.com/Trq35mEWdq
— ANI (@ANI) February 14, 2018
The journalists were attacked when they tried to approach a Muslim family that was apparently converting to Hinduism at the programme organised by the Hindu Samhati Mancha at Rani Rashmoni Road in the central part of the city, a senior police officer said.
14 members including 8 children of Hossain Ali were converted into Hinduism and when mediapersons want to know whether they were forcibly converted, the workers of the Hindutva outfit attacked journalists.
Four people, including the Hindu Samhati Manchas president Tapan Ghosh, have been arrested in connection with the incident and is being interrogated.
“We will examine those arrested so far and carry out raids in different locations to get hold of others who are involved in this case,” he told PTI.
One of the channel reporters said that at least four to five journalists were injured in the attack and their cameras broken.
The Mancha volunteers insisted that none would be allowed to talk to the family and “pounced upon” the reporters and the camera crew, the reporter alleged.
They said, “thus far conversions were done secretly. But today we are doing it in public while they converted Hussein Ali a middle-aged man with his wife and children and other family members,” sources said.
Condemning the incident, West Bengal Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee said people should come forward to stop this “anarchy”.
“Our fight is against this uncivilised behavior” he said.
State education minister Partha Chatterjee demanded strict action against those responsible for the assault.
“I condemn this. Those who have tried to create ruckus and assaulted the journalists have no business (being) here. They do not have any presence in West Bengal. This is an attempt to stay in the news. The journalists did the right thing by questioning them,” Chatterjee said.
TMC MP and theatre personality Arpita Ghosh said all should unite to counter the right-wing forces.
“Today they are attacking the journalists. Tomorrow they will target somebody else,” she said.
Just before his arrest, Ghosh had described the incident as “undesirable” and said it was not an attack on the media.
BJP spokesperson Sayantan Basu said he and other workers do not support attack on the media.
Hundreds of right-wing activists from different parts of the state attended the Hindu Samhati Manmcha programme, a senior police officer said, adding the situation has been brought under control.
PTI inputs