Kolkata: Faced with criticism over transfer of senior IPS officer Damayanti Sen, who had differed with Mamata Banerjee on the genuineness of the Park Street rape case, the West Bengal Chief Minister on Thursday defended the decision saying it was a prerogative of the government.
Banerjee, without referring to the transfer of Sen, the former Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), said "it is the prerogative of my government to get the job done by someone who can perform in a better way."
Pointing out that it was the management of media houses which decided who would be editor and other staff, Banerjee alleged a section of the media and television news channels were making personal attacks on her and trying to malign her government.
"This is yellow journalism. The manner in which personal attacks are being made is a conspiracy and a planted game. "Those who are engaged in this planted game, how can they claim that they are impartial? Just as I cannot impose or bulldoze, you cannot impose or bulldoze," she said at the launch of `Kalom`, a Bengali daily.
Banerjee said, "One can disagree with my policies. The freedom of the press has a broad meaning. The deliberate misuse of the pen can be dangerous for society."
"If self-interest is not served, one will resort to lies. This is not the freedom of the press," she said.
PTI
