Kerala Police conduct raid at Kozhikode office of Asianet News
Kozhikode (Kerala), Mar 5: Kerala police on Sunday carried out a "search" at the office of Malayalam news channel Asianet News here in connection with a case.
A senior police officer, who was leading the team that arrived at the Kozhikode office of the news channel, later told reporters here that the "search" was carried out as part of the investigation in the case.
"No documents have been taken," the officer said.
According to news reports, the case registered by police is based on a complaint lodged by a politician alleging that an interview done by the channel of a schoolgirl who was allegedly forced to work as a drug courier was fake news.
The police search comes just a couple of days after a group of SFI activists allegedly trespassed into the Kochi office of the news channel and intimidated the staff.
Following the police search, Asianet News tweeted: "Days after SFI hooliganism, Kerala Police conducts 'search' at Asianet News Kozhikode office. Regardless, Asianet News continues to report, true to its motto: Straight. Bold. Relentless. #AttackOnMedia #PressFreedom #AsianetNewsAttacked."
The search was condemned by the Congress and BJP in Kerala which termed it as "a sign of intolerance" and a "fascist approach", respectively.
Congress leader V D Satheesan said the police action was "a sign of intolerance against protests, criticism or questioning of those in power" and it has been on a rise in the state.
The Leader of the Opposition said such actions indicate that there is no difference between the Narendra Modi government at the Centre and the Pinarayi Vijayan regime in Kerala.
Satheesan also referred to Vijayan as the "mund (dhoti) wearing Modi".
He said that Modi used the income tax to raid BBC offices and the Kerala Chief Minister used the crime branch wing of police to search the Asianet News office.
BJP's Kerala unit president K Surendran said the search at the Asianet News office was "an example of the fascist approach" of the state government towards the media.
Meanwhile, BJP Rajya Sabha member Prakash Javadekar condemned the recent attack on the Kochi office of the news channel.
"It was a violent and brutal attack. It is an attack on freedom of the press in the country. It cannot be tolerated. There is no reason for the justification for the violence and terrorising of the employees. It is not done. State government should arrest all those who attacked the Asianet office," he said.
The Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) also condemned the police action.
So @pinarayivijayan facing serious corruptn charges n questns from media thinks he can wriggle out n distract ppl by intimidatng media using his SFI hoodlums n thn his Police 😂🤷🏻♂️ #Joker https://t.co/FFjLoJvas2
— Rajeev Chandrasekhar 🇮🇳 (@Rajeev_GoI) March 5, 2023
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T'gana RTC strike: Talks between govt, employees successful
Hyderabad (PTI): Talks between employees of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (RTC) who were on strike and the state government concluded successfully on Friday as the government agreed to the key demands of the workmen.
Following a day-long marathon of talks between the leaders of the employees' Joint Action Committee (JAC) and the cabinet sub-committee, the government announced after midnight that it acceded to the demands, including a merger of RTC with the government, 11 per cent pay revision and elections to the employees' unions.
A committee comprising officials and employee leaders would be appointed over the merger of RTC with the government, it said.
The RTC management has also agreed to address the remaining issues as well, an official release said.
The employees would call off their strike and the RTC buses would hit the roads shortly, it said.
The employees had been on an indefinite strike since April 22 over a series of demands, including the merger of RTC with the government.
Earlier in the day, a driver of the RTC, who attempted suicide on April 23 during the strike, died at a hospital here in the early hours of Friday.
Shankar Goud, a 55-year-old driver, set himself ablaze by pouring petrol at Narsampet in Warangal district when the employees were staging a protest on Thursday in support of their demands.
Goud suffered serious burns, was initially admitted to a state-run hospital in Warangal, and later shifted to a super-speciality hospital in Hyderabad for advanced treatment.
"He succumbed (to injuries) at about 1.30 am on Friday," a senior official said.
The driver’s body was taken to his relative’s village, Muttojipet in Warangal district, for funeral rites.
Tension prevailed in Muttojipet as his family members and RTC employees attempted to take the body to the Narsampet bus station, where he worked, to enable his colleagues to pay their last respects. However, police did not permit this, citing law-and-order concerns.
This led to a deadlock before the funeral could proceed.
Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar criticised the Telangana government for not allowing the body to be taken to the Narsampet bus station.
Kumar, Minister of State (Home), visited Muttojipet village in Warangal district, where the funeral was held, and paid homage to Goud.
“They (family members) want to take the body to the bus depot for five minutes. Is the RTC bus depot in Pakistan or Bangladesh? They are emotionally attached to taking the body there. The government is hurting sentiments and creating fear among RTC employees,” Kumar told reporters.
He also expressed anger at the police for not allowing the body to be taken to the bus station and staged a protest, according to a release from his office.
RTC employees and BJP workers attempted to take the mortal remains in an ambulance to Narsampet, but were stopped by the police.
Later, after discussions with the police, the family members and RTC employees agreed to conduct the funeral in the village.
Sanjay Kumar, stating he would abide by the family’s decision, left the village after the funeral was conducted there.
Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh, a house, and a government job would be provided to the kin of Goud.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed shock over the employee’s death and conveyed deep condolences to the grieving family, according to the release.
The RTC employees’ JAC had earlier announced an agitation programme from April 24 to 29, including silent marches and submission of memorandums to MLAs and other leaders.
