Siliguri, 19th April: Darjeeling MP Raju Bista in a press release, on Sunday, strongly condemned the attack on Siliguri’s journalists while they were reporting a piece of news on lockdown violators.
“This news from Siliguri is particularly troubling, and I condemn this cowardly attack on a journalist in the strongest of terms,” Bista said.
The MP defined media and journalists as the fourth pillar of a ‘healthy and mature democracy’ and felt ashamed that journalists were being assaulted for showcasing the truth in West Bengal today.
Bista alleged that the lockdown rules are being mocked everywhere and the administration seems to be either “oblivious or indifferent to the fact that this disease is such that you can’t hide.”
The MP went on to write, “WB Government has been adamant that the way they are running things – permitting crowds to gather, not enforcing lockdown, nor informing people about COVID19 positive cases, not testing enough, not giving adequate safety materials – PPE kits, N95 masks to medical staff and other frontline COVID-19 workers is a good way to combat this pandemic. However, the Journalists have been asking questions, exposing their lies and keeping people informed of the ground realities.”
\Bista questioned whether the attacks are motivated to influence journalists into toeing the State line?
He urged the West Bengal government to ensure the safety and security of the journalists and requested them not to harass, threaten, intimidate and influence journalists for reporting the truth.
On Saturday, two representatives of Siliguri Times were attacked in Haiderpada while reporting news on the COVID-19 lockdown.
People are even seen playing cards on road sides in the road that lead to gariahat, group sitting as well as illiteracy is clearly seen common there. Their faces looks like they are doing something to be proud of, also there’s an area behind our society, where group of people have been sitting in the group and celebrating pandemic in lungis and illiteracies regardless of the lockdown.
Don’t spread wrong information please.