Ten BJP workers arrested for attacking journalist Nikhil Wagle; Editors Guild condemns incident

Ten BJP workers arrested for attacking journalist Nikhil Wagle; Editors Guild condemns incident. Pic/Hindi Midday

Ten BJP workers were arrested for assaulting senior Marathi journalist Nikhil Wagle in Pune, an incident that garnered condemnation from The Editors Guild of India, urging prompt action from the Maharashtra government.

A day after Wagle's car, carrying him and fellow activists, was vandalized while en route to a public meeting an FIR was filed against the assailants, who allegedly targeted Wagle due to his critical comments about the BJP government.

The FIR as lodged at Parvati police station in the city on Saturday evening, said a police official, as quoted by newswire PTI. The accused were booked under Indian Penal Code sections 147 (rioting), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapon or means),

336 (causing grievous hurt by an act endangering life or personal safety), 427 (causing damage to property) and other relevant provisions, he said.

Protesting against the senior journalist's comments about the Narendra Modi government conferring the country's highest civilian honour 'Bharat Ratna' on BJP veteran L K Advani, alleged BJP activists vandalised a car in which Wagle and activists Aseem Sarode and Vishwambhar Choudhary were travelling under police protection to the 'Nirbhay Bano' public meeting organised by Rashtra Seva Dal on Friday evening.

The complaint filed by a woman, on which the FIR was based, claimed that she and a few others were protecting Wagle's car even as some BJP workers hurled stones at the vehicle and injured them.

Arrested workers were identified as Deepak Pote, Ganesh Ghosh, Ganesh Sherla, Raghvendra Mankar, Swapnil Naik, Pratik Desarda, Dushyant Mohol, Datta Sagre, Girish Mankar and Rahul Paygude.

Police also registered a case against Wagle and Pune city unit presidents of the BJP, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress for allegedly violating section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code. "The case was registered against them as the event ('Nirbhay Bano' public meeting) was being held without police permission," said Sambhaji Kadam, deputy commissioner of police.

Earlier, another case had been registered against Wagle for allegedly making offensive remarks against PM Modi and Advani under IPC sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 500 (defamation) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) at Vishrambaug police station on a complaint lodged by BJP leader Sunil Deodhar.

In a statement issued from the national capital, the The Editors Guild of India condemned the attack on the journalist.

"The Editors Guild calls on the administration in Pune and the Maharashtra government to book the guilty," it said.

It also noted that FIRs were registered against Wagle over his statement, and expressed deep concern about the "misuse of criminal laws against journalists in an effort to intimidate and harass them."

"We urge law enforcement agencies to exercise restraint before registering complaints against journalists as an FIR, lest the process of investigation becomes a punishment itself," the Guild said. (With inputs from PTI)