Mumbai: Journalists in Maharashtra today
staged demonstrations demanding that the state government make
attacks on journalists a non-bailable and cognisable offence.
Wearing black ribbons and carrying banners, the agitators
gathered at Hutatma Chowk in south Mumbai and demanded that
the government ensure that journalists in the line of duty be
protected against attacks.
The protesters, from various organisations representing
print and electronic media, demanded that law should be
amended to protect journalists from attacks on the lines of
the amendment carried out for doctors.
On August 6, a delegation of journalists met Governor K
Sankaranarayanan, requesting him to prevail upon the state
government to amend law to make attacks on media persons a
non-bailable and cognisable offence.
The scribes also met Chief Minister Ashok Chavan,
informing him that media personnel, while collecting news,
were increasingly facing violent attacks by those representing
powerful vested interests, local goons and underworld dons.
-PTI
