MP Anubhav's misbehaviour with media: Journalists Threaten To Gherao Odisha Assembly

Bhubaneswar: Protests against misbehaviour by MP Anubhav Mohanty towards OTV reporter Manoj Swain intensified with journalists on Thursday threatening to gherao Odisha Assembly and chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s residence.

Representatives of various media organisations today staged demonstration in front of Jaydev Bhawan in Bhubaneswar protesting the highhandedness of the Kendrapara MP. The agitators served a 24-hour ultimatum to the Odisha CM demanding action against MP Anubhav Mohanty for misbehaving with the OTV reporter.

The agitating journalists also demanded tabling of journalist protection bill in State Assembly and threatened to gherao the House and Naveen Niwas if the demands are not fulfilled.

Similarly, Unique Press Club in Udala and Kaptipada Sub-division Journalist Parivar in Mayurbhanj district also protested and condemned the misbehaviour of MP Anubhav. They submitted a memorandum to the additional sub-collector addressed to Governor Professor Ganeshi Lal and demanded action against the Kendrapara MP.

Santosh Kumar Bachini, senior journalist and member of Unique Press Club said, “We condemn the misbehaviour towards media representative by Kendrapara MP Anubhav Mohanty. All the journalists of Udala in Mayurbhanj district and Kaptipada Sub-division Journalist Parivar have come forward to condemn the act and submitted a memorandum addressed to the Odisha Governor.”

MP Anubhav Mohanty must publicly apologise within 24 hours, said senior journalist Pradyumna Satpathy adding, "We demand stern action against the MP and a bill to be tabled in the upcoming Odisha Assembly session for the protection and safety of working journalists."

"Police has not taken any action against the MP. As the CM has also not spoken anything on the incident so far, it has hurt the entire journalist community. It is not a protest against any political leader or for any news channel. It is a warning that journalists will not tolerate such behaviour by any political leaders," said senior journalist, Prasanna Mohanty.

Another senior journalist, Rajaram Satpathy said, "Had the police or the government wanted, action would have taken against the MP as FIR has also been registered in connection with the incident. Besides, it doesn't seem the parliamentarian even regrets for his act."

"It is the right of a journalist to ask question. Whether a politician will answer to it or avoid, it depends on them. But the type of behaviour the MP has shown is totally not acceptable," said Dayanidhi Das Senior Editor, News18 Odisha.

News7 Editor Ardhendu Das said politicians like Anubhav Mohanty doesn't care about anything. "The BJD should have issued a clarification over the incident; if the party doesn't do so, we have to believe that the ruling-BJD is silently supporting the MP's act," he added.