Kerala: RSS workers barge into press club, attack scribes

Malappuram: In an unprecedented attack here on the world Press Freedom day on Thursday, a group of RSS-BJP activists who barged into the Press Club at the district headquarters unleashed attack on mediapersons.  Photographer Fuad Saneen and Shahbas Vellila, both from Chandrika daily were attacked by the goons, allegedly for trying to capture the visuals of a bike rider, Abdulla Fawas, 28, being assaulted by the RSS-BJP men during a protest march which passed by the Press Club at around 11.30 am on Thursday.

Fawas was trying to overtake the march when he was stopped and attacked.  The Sangh activists forcefully entered the Press Club and attacked Saneen who was capturing the assault standing at the entrance of the Club. The assailants also seized mobile phone from Saneen. The rally was organised by Sangh Parivar organisations in a protest against an alleged attack on their office at Munduparamba near Malappuram town. Both Fawas and Saneen have been hospitalised with injuries. The police has registered a case in connection with incident but arrested none.

The victims and press club office-bearers alleged lapses on the part of Police and they acted in favour of the attackers.  "The Police committed serious lapses in arresting the assailants though senior officers were alerted in time. The assailants were still part of the march which was advancing towards the Civil Station and they could have been easily picked by the police if they acted quickly," Mahesh Kumar, treasurers of the Press Club who alerted the Police said.

Malappuram SI B.S Binu also tried to justify the assailants, said Shahbas who was attacked. "SI asked us to wear identity cards inside press club and tried to hush up the issue saying the RSS workers didn't know the victims were journalists and premise was Press Club," Shahbas said.  Various political party leaders and trade unions condemned the attack on mediapersons. Congress leader V.M. Sudheeran, who condemned the attack, demanded stringent action against the assailants and asked the government to ensure press freedom in the state.