By IANS
Bhopal : Speaker of the Madhya Pradesh assembly Tuesday asked the state government to ensure safety of media persons in the state.
Ishwardas Rohani was referring to an attack on a journalist in the neighbouring Sehore district and asked Home Minister Himmat Kothari to conduct an inquiry into it.
The incident occurred after the journalist reported about a scuffle between Sehore district collector and the driver of Bharatiya Janata Party MP Ram Pal Singh of Vidisha constituency.
Congress lawmaker Sajjan Singh Verma informed the house that UNI reporter Ramnarayan Tamrakar was beaten up and his office was ransacked Monday.
The speaker said that the entire matter appeared to be an act of vengeance, adding protecting the media – the fourth pillar of democracy – was the responsibility of the government.
According to Tamrakar, who has been admitted to Bhopal’s Hamidia hospital for treatment, he and his son were beaten up when they protested the demolition of their office.
Meanwhile, journalist organisations in the state capital have condemned the incident and urged the government to order a judicial inquiry into the incident.
Demanding action against the guilty, the organizations have also asked the government to bear the cost of treatment of Tamrakar and his son and also compensate loss to their property.