Journalists Meet Odisha CM, Demand Action Against Police Misconduct During Rath Yatra

GG News Bureau
Bhubaneswar, 1st July: A delegation of Bhubaneswar-based journalists met Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi at Lok Seva Bhavan on Monday and submitted a memorandum demanding strict action against police personnel who allegedly misbehaved with and assaulted media persons during the coverage of this year’s Rath Yatra in Puri.

The journalists apprised the Chief Minister of the difficulties faced by accredited reporters, particularly the incidents involving law enforcement officials stationed near the cordoned-off zones of the yatra route. The media personnel alleged they were physically obstructed and manhandled despite having proper accreditation to cover the annual religious event.

The Rath Yatra is one of the most significant events in Odisha, drawing lakhs of devotees and extensive media coverage each year. The Information and Public Relations (I&PR) Department routinely facilitates the travel and stay of accredited journalists from Bhubaneswar to Puri to ensure smooth reporting of the festival. However, this year’s event saw instances of police high-handedness, sparking widespread outrage in the journalistic community.

Responding to the concerns, Chief Minister Majhi assured the delegation that the matter would be taken seriously and appropriate action would be initiated after a thorough review and consultation with concerned departments.

Senior journalists including Sanat Mishra, Pradyumna Kumar Mohanty, Bhagwat Tripathi, Dr Pabitra Mohan Samantaray, Partha Sarathi Jena, Kishore Mangaraj, Debakant Mohapatra, Swaroop Kumar Mohanty, Gajendranath Behera, Sanatan Dalabehera, Subodh Kanungo, Surya Kanti Nayak, Swadesh Dash, and Debaprasad Mohanty were present during the meeting.

The media fraternity has demanded accountability and preventive measures to ensure such incidents do not recur in the future, underlining the need for cooperation between security forces and press personnel during public events.