With media personnel being attacked at various districts during the 12-hour hartal by saffron outfits against Sabarimala temple women entry, the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) decided to boycott BJP and Sabarimala Karma Samithi.
The press meets called by BJP state president P.S. Sreedharan Pillai and Samithi leader K.P. Sasikala were boycotted by the media in protest against the widespread attacks faced by them since Wednesday afternoon.
Journalists and camera persons have faced the ire of frenzied protesters while trying to cover the violence spread by them. Three media persons have injured Thursday in Thiruvananthapuram alone while covering the violence unleashed by BJP workers on the hartal day. On Wednesday, four media persons were attacked by the protesting Yuva Morcha activists, who took out a march against the successful entry of two women of menstrual age group into the Sabarimala temple.
Following this, the Thiruvananthapuram district committee of KUWJ decided to boycott the press meet called by Sreedharan Pillai at 12.30pm, in front of the Secretariat where the party has organised an indefinite fast for last one month. An embarrassed Pillai was seen giving a speech with just one camera—of the Janam TV, a pro-right channel.
At the same time in Kottayam, the press club authorities refused to give its hall for use to Hindu Aikya Vedi leader K.P. Sasikala, who had yesterday declared a hartal on behalf of the Samiti. BJP state general secretary K. Surendran also faced the wrath of the media at Kozhikode, and they boycotted his press meet.
Journalists staged a protest march in the state capital.
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