Journalists threaten to boycott CM’s programmes

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Aug 23: Following a tiff between police constables and journalists at Mangalore International Airport on the morning of Aug 23, Monday, the journalists of the city threatened to boycott all the programmes of Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa in Mangalore.

Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa landed at the airport at 8:30 a.m., interacted with reporters, and boarded a Volvo bus along with MLAs and local ministers. Two police constables stopped a press vehicle from following the Volvo bus saying that they had been instructed to prevent all vehicles from following the CM’s Volvo bus for 10 minutes. This annoyed journalists who decided to boycott the chief minister’s programmes in the city. They said that they would boycott the CM’s programmes in the city unless he returned to the same spot and permitted the press vehicles to follow his Volvo bus if he wanted press coverage for his programmes.

DCP Ramesh and Panambur Police Inspector Valentine D’Souza also made several attempts to convince the press people to reconsider their decision, but failed to do so. Deputy Commissioner V. Ponnuraj and Mangalore Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh had also requested the reporters to forget the incident.

Finally, MLC Ganesh Karnik, who was one of the CM’s escorts, rushed back to the airport, apologized to the press people, and requested them to follow the CM’s Volvo. The journalists finally agreed to meet the CM at Circuit House after a long meeting under the leadership of Vice President of District Working Journalists Association (DWJA).

The chief minister apologized to the reporters at Circuit House. He also ordered that SI of Bajpe Police Station Shyam Sunder should be suspended for misbehaving with press people and urged the police not to repeat such incidents. Later, the CM withdrew the suspension order and said that the officer should be temporarily relieved from his duties. He also warned Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh to control his officers and said that wearing khaki uniforms does not give officers the license to misbehave or assault others.