Bengaluru: Hundreds of people gathered at Freedom Park, Bengaluru, to protest against the attack on Theja T, a journalist working with the Samvada channel. The protesters demanded the state government and police to arrest the culprits immediately.
Last week, Theja, a press reporter reporting for the Samvada Kannada channel was brutally manhandled and beaten by so-called Kannada activists at Freedom Park, Bengaluru. He was covering the protest against the textbook book revision by so-called ‘Kannada activists’ at the park on Saturday.
A group of assailants who participated in the protest, identified as Deepu Gowda, and Bhyrappa Harish Kumar targeted Theja and assaulted him for supporting the RSS. “If the police did not save me on time, I would have been killed,” Theja told the media.
“I condemn the inhuman attack on a journalist who was covering the protest at Freedom Park. The incident was perpetrated by a mindset that is against democracy and press freedom. I have asked officials to take this seriously and initiate proper legal action,” Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said in a statement.
“A case has been filed and I’ve issued instructions to identify and act against those responsible for this as soon as possible,” he said.
The police have registered an FIR against the accused, charging them with assault, criminal intimidation and under various sections of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
