Kannur: Reporter of a Malayalam TV channel was roughed up allegedly by CPM sympathisers during an 'open air' election talk show here, police said on Tuesday. Asianet News channel, whose regional bureau chief Shajahan was manhandled, alleged that the attack was carried out by a group led by CPM MLA P Jayarajan, apparently irked by some sensitive issues concerning the party in the area was raised during the show "Porkkalam" last night.
According to the channel, Jayarajan also rang up Shajahan later and talked in an "intimidating tone", accusing him of having received money from Congress for casting the CPM in a poor light. What provoked the CPM sympathisers was questions regarding the recent disciplinary action against the party's
district secretary P Sasi for alleged personal misconduct.
Sasi was removed from the key party post and Jayarajan was given charge of the district secretary. However,Jayarajan denied that he was involved in manhandling
the journalist. He said actually he had tried to save Shajahan from the scene.
Journalists in different parts of the state took out processions condemning the incident holding that it amounted to attack on freedom of the press. The town police registered a case on a complaint lodged by Shajahan.
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