E-Paper
City rallies around mediapersons
ASSAULT ON mediapersons by the Gorakhpur Development Authority employees sparked off sharp reaction in the society. The business community members shut down their establishment, petrol pumps and many colleges were closed to show their solidarity with mediapersons. Student leaders of DDU Gorakhpur University gave a Gorakhpur bandh call. They hit the street on Thursday and took out a procession in the main market. The district and police officials remained on their toes throughout the day to avoid any untoward incident.
ASSAULT ON mediapersons by the Gorakhpur Development Authority employees sparked off sharp reaction in the society. The business community members shut down their establishment, petrol pumps and many colleges were closed to show their solidarity with mediapersons. Student leaders of DDU Gorakhpur University gave a Gorakhpur bandh call. They hit the street on Thursday and took out a procession in the main market. The district and police officials remained on their toes throughout the day to avoid any untoward incident.
Student leaders led by union president Rajiv Pandey, former vice-president Dr Mahendra Rai and Hareshyam Singh Shrinetra shouted slogans against the GDA officials and district officials and said the assault on the media was a conspiracy to suppress their voice and no would bear it. They reached Press Club to show their solidrity with mediapersons where president of the Press Club Shafi Azmi appealed to the students to withdraw the bandh call in larger interest of the common people.
After this, the bandh call was revoked but the business establishments remained closed the whole day.
Meanwhile, local MLA Dr RMD Agrawal raised the issue in UP Assembly and demanded suspension of the erring officials. MLC Dr YD Singh also condemned the incident and said it was shameful for democracy in the country. Activists of Gorakhnath Purvanchal Vikas Manch Rajesh Pandey, Mant Lal Yadav and others took out a protest march and wore black ribbons to show their resentment against the incident. They demanded to impose Gangster Act on the erring officials.
City unit president of the district unit of Congress Chaudhary Irshad Husain, State secretary of State Congress Minorities cell Tauqir Husain and others took out a procession and burnt an effigy of GDA secretary at Court crossing.
Members of Backward Cell of District Congress Committee Krishna Mohan Gupta, PCC member Jeevan Prakash and Aslam Khan said the attack on mediapersons was condemnable and it was an assault on freedom of speech.
Director of Uttar Pradesh Minorities Financial Development Corporation Zafar Amin Dakku also condemned the incident. Senior BSP leader Dr Aziz Ahmad visited the hospital to take care of the injured journalists and expressed shock over the incident.
