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November, Kochi: Fifteen-odd journalists
were injured when policemen tried to clear a way
for the Industries Minister, P. K. Kunhalikutty,
to leave a hotel in the city on Tuesday.
The
newsmen were protesting over the attacks on mediapersons
in Kozhikode allegedly by Muslim League activists
following the events relating the Minister in
a sex scandal which was reported widely in the
media.
Held
up
Mr.
Kunhalikutty was held up for nearly two hours at
the hotel before he was whisked away by the police.
The Minister left for the Cochin International Airport
to take a flight to Thiruvananthapuram amid tight
police security.
Activists
of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI),
the All India Youth Federation, the Yuva Morcha
and the Yuva Jana Vedi who had gathered outside
the gates of the hotel were stopped by the police
and removed using force.
Five
admitted
Among the 15 journalists injured in the event, five
have been admitted to the Medical Trust Hospital.
The
Minister was at Hotel Le Meridien to attend a
meeting with a delegation of officials from the
Dubai Internet City. He was to take the 2 p.m.
flight to Thiruvananthapuram to attend a UDF meeting,
but managed to leave only by 1.15 p.m. after DIG,
R. Sreelekha, and the ACP, Trikkakkara, Santhosh
Varma, arrived on the scene.
In
the midst of policemen escorting Mr. Kunhalikutty
to his car, the slogan-shouting journalists booed
at the Minister and dropped a black cloth on his
face.
Black
badges
Earlier, a few journalists had reached the hotel
around 10 a.m. to track the visit of a Parliamentary
Committee on Employment when they heard about the
presence of Mr. Kunhalikutty in the hotel. The news
about the Minister's presence brought a crowd of
over 150 journalists on the scene.
The
Minister was expected to leave by 11 a.m. but
the growing number of journalists outside the
hotel lobby, all wearing black badges, perhaps
delayed the programme. He sent a message that
he was ready to talk with reporters but the journalists
did not accept the invitation as a meeting with
the Minister was not on the agenda.
The
mediapersons said that they went to register their
protest against the Minister as per the call of
the leaders of the Kerala Union of Working Journalists
to observe a black day.
Protests
The law and order situation has worsened in the
State, said the BJP State president, P.S. Sreedharan
Pillai. He accused the Muslim League 'goondas' of
taking law into their own hands. As the Government
has failed to protect the life and property of people,
the Chief Minister should resign, he said. Mr. Kunhalikutty
will be burnt in effigy on Wednesday in all the
village centres, said the State committee member
of the DYFI, V. A. Zakir Hussain.
The
General Insurance Officers All India Association
(Kerala) protested against the attack on journalists.
The general secretary of the Association, P. P.
Mohanan, said that attack on mediamen was an infringement
on the right to information.
The
Yuvajana Vedi State president, P. S. Rajagopalan,
and the Janathipathya Vanitha Sanghatana secretary,
T. B. Mini, demanded a judicial probe into the
Kiliroor sex-scandal and ouster of Mr. Kunhalikutty
from the Cabinet in the wake of revelations in
the ice-cream parlour sex scandal.
The
Television Chamber of Kerala president, K. V.
Shaji, and secretary, Kuttan Alappuzha, protested
against the attack on mediapersons.
The
Latin Catholic Association president, Felix J.
Pulloodan, the Kerala Cartoon Academy chairman,
Balachandran, also registered their protest against
the attack on mediapersons.
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