Maharashtra CM assures journalists of action against attackers of IBN office
Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan on Saturday assured a journalists' delegation that strict actions will be initiated against the attackers of IBN Lokmat offices in Mumbai and Pune. A journalist delegation led by Rajya
Sabha member Vijay Darda and CNN-IBN Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai met Chavan at his official residence here. The delegation demanded Chavan to make attacks
on media a non-bailable offence. Speaking to the media after the meeting Sardesai
said: "Chavan has assured us that he will ensure strictest possible action against
those behind the attack." Darda, who heads the Lokmat group, said: "We are confident
that there will be prompt action against those who engineered the attack." "The
Chief Minister assured the delegation that no one will be spared if their involvement
in the attack was established," he added. On Friday, a group of Shiv Sena activists
ransacked the Marathi news channel IBN Lokmat office in Mumbai and Pune. They
assaulted staff members including journalists for carrying reports that allegedly
showed Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray in bad light. Meanwhile denouncing the attack, Sanjay Nirupam, legislature of ruling Congress party and former Shiv Sena legislature
said that the assault is attack on the freedom of press.
