Bill to stop attacks on journalists to be tabled soon

Informing that the draft bill for an act to prevent attacks on journalists is ready, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said the state government would introduce the bill in the current budget session of the Assembly.

Fadnavis was making a statement in state assembly after the issue of an attack on Sudhir Suryawanshi, a special correspondent with this newspaper, was raised by BJP MLA Ashish Shelar.

Meanwhile, the Patrakar Halla Virodhi Samiti (Committee Against Attacks on Journalists) will stage demonstrations at Kharghar's Utsav Chowk on Monday. More than 300 scribes will participate in these demonstrations at 11 am, and senior journalists from Navi Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Pune and Mumbai will protest against the attack on Suryavanshi and other attacks against journalists.

SM Deshmukh, convener of committee, pointed out that there have been threats to journalists even if opinions expressed during TV talk shows are hampering vested interests. He said the protests will be held to demand stringent measures for preventing such attacks in the future.

There have been attacks on four media houses and 337 journalists in last four years. The Committee Against Attacks on Journalists has been pressing for a stringent legislation to prevent attacks on journalists.