Four BJP men arrested in Raipur for assaulting journalist inside party office

The journalist claimed he was beaten up for recording a brawl among BJP leaders in the party office,

Raipur police late Saturday arrested four BJP office bearers for allegedly assaulting a journalist inside the party’s office earlier in the evening.

Journalists protesting inside the BJP office in Raipur on Saturday after four BJP office bearers allegedly assaulted a scribe. (HT PHOTO)

The arrests came after a case was registered against district president of BJP Rajeev Agarwal, a local leader Vijay Vyas, Utkarsh Trivedi and Deena Dongre.

Journalists had staged a protest inside the BJP office demanding the arrest of the four accused.

Journalist Suman Pandey said he had gone to cover a meeting the BJP had called to review their defeat in Raipur city in recent assembly elections. Pandey said many local leaders including Raipur BJP president and others were present.

“I also went to cover the meeting and suddenly there some BJP leaders started manhandling another leader which I started recording on my mobile phone. Subsequently, Utkarash Trivedi and Raipur president of BJP Rajeev Agarwal attacked me and started beating me. They snatched my mobile and deleted the recording and kept me in a room for about 20 minutes,” he said.

Pandey who sustained minor injuries then sat on protest along with other journalists inside the BJP office.

Senior BJP leader and party spokesperson Sacchinand Upansane who was also present in the meeting, refuted the allegations and that no one had beaten the journalist.

“It was a review meeting and only allowed for party workers. Even after that the journalist was present in the meeting and was recording on the phone. Some workers objected and told him to delete the recording. He was never beaten. It was minor issue but our district president was booked by police,” said Upasane.