Journalist Pramod Madhav, Chennai correspondent of Mirror Now, was attacked in a tea shop near the Governor’s residence (Raj Bhavan) in Chennai. While the journalists who were with Pramod allege that the accused is a DMK worker, the police have denied it.
The incident happened on Monday when Pramod Madhav was in the area to cover a protest organised by MDMK leader Vaiko. Vaiko had called for laying siege on Raj Bhavan on Monday demanding the release of the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. Pramod and other journalists who were there to cover the event were distracted by a commotion at a tea shop nearby.
As the journalists went to check the reason for the mayhem in the tea shop, Pramod started filming the happenings inside the tea shop on his mobile phone. As Pramod entered the tea shop, the man who was engaged in a verbal spat with another man inside the tea shop turned his attention towards Pramod and punched him in the face and pushed him to the ground. Despite no provocation from Pramod and clear indications that he was a journalist who was in the area doing his job, the man rained blows on Pramod. Further attack was prevented as the other journalists who were with Pramod came forward in his defence and blocked the man from hitting further.
The man who attacked has been identified as Suresh Babu and has been arrested by the police and the inquiry is on. Suresh Babu is reportedly a DMK party worker from Saidapet and was arrested on Monday evening. The police however have denied that he is a DMK member. Speaking to TNM, a police officer at the Guindy police station said that the man was a local guy and was not part of any political party. “We are now getting statement from the complainant and will register an FIR at the earliest on the accused. For now, he has been arrested,” he said.
Pramod suffered grievous injuries to his face, teeth, eye and has a fracture on his nose. He is being treated in the Royapettah Government Hospital in Chennai. The brutal attack on a journalist who was merely doing his duty has invited a lot of reactions on the internet.
& this is how my friend @madhavpramod1 was attacked when he tried to take the video of #DMK party cadre tried to create ruckus at a tea shop in Chennai during #MDMK protest pic.twitter.com/lKHdCHj8xK
— Sanjeevee sadagopan (@sanjusadagopan) 3 December 2018
Journo @madhavpramod1 attacked by #DMK party person. Reality of press freedom in Tamilnadu.
— niranjan kumar (@niranjan2428) 3 December 2018
Enough is enough. Time to stop hate against press peoples.pic.twitter.com/7flfEZ5VYI
#DMK this is not done. In fact all TN political parties, it's time you hold the reins of your party workers tight and not let journalists get hurt. @madhavpramod1 and others are here to do their job. https://t.co/1bXZ0Hf6RV
— Smitha T K (@smitha_tk) 3 December 2018
Meanwhile, the DMK issued a statement on Monday night that said that Suresh Babu was not a part of DMK. "The news that Suresh Babu is a member of DMK as circulated by the media is not true. He is not a member of the DMK and there is no relationship whatsoever between him and the DMK," read the statement. It also called for stringent action against Suresh Babu and added that news circulated with the intention of defaming the party must be avoided by the media.
Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu O Panneerselvam also took to Twitter to condemn the act of violence against Pramod. "The news that a journalist working for an English news outlet was attacked when he was just doing his duty makes me sad. I condemn the attack on journalist who work day and night to reach the truth to the people. We will stand by reporters and the media which is the fourth pillar of a democracy," read the tweets in Tamil.
செய்தி சேகரிக்கச் சென்ற இடத்தில், ஆங்கில செய்தி தொலைக்காட்சி @MirrorNow -ன் நிருபர் திரு.பிரமோத்மாதவ் @madhavpramod1 அவர்கள் தாக்கப்பட்டார் என்ற செய்தி மிகுந்த வருத்தத்தை அளிக்கிறது. இரவு பகல் பாராது உழைத்து, மக்களுக்கு உண்மை நிகழ்வுகளை கொண்டு சேர்க்கின்ற மகத்தான பணியாற்றி வரும்,
— O Panneerselvam (@OfficeOfOPS) December 3, 2018
பத்திரிக்கையாளர்கள் தாக்கப்படுவதை வன்மையாகக் கண்டிக்கிறேன். இதுபோன்ற நிகழ்வுகள் இனி நடைபெறாமலிருக்க வலியுறுத்தி, ஜனநாயகத்தின் நான்காம் தூணாகத் திகழும் பத்திரிக்கைத் துறைக்கும், பத்திரிக்கையாளர்களுக்கும் நாம் என்றும் துணை நிற்போம் என்பதை தெரிவித்து கொள்கிறேன்.
— O Panneerselvam (@OfficeOfOPS) December 3, 2018