Ashok Chavan demanded immediate action to ensure no TV journalist was attacked (File)
Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan has written to Home Minister Rajnath Singh demanding protection for journalists from "fanatically minded" people. Mr Chavan, a former Chief Minister, made the request in connection with reported threats to some senior TV journalists by people "who disapprove of the views expressed by them in their respective programmes."
In his letter to Mr Singh yesterday, Mr Chavan said it was an "extremely dangerous" trend which directly attacked the fourth pillar of democracy. He referred to the killing of rationalists Narendra Dabholkar, MM Kalburgi and Govind Pansare and
journalist Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru.
Mr Chavan demanded immediate action to ensure no TV journalist was attacked by people who were "fanatically minded enough" to give threats.
"A swift action by you would set an example and deter all those who do or intend to indulge in violent means and practices," he said in the letter.
Activists have alleged that there could be a link between the murder of Gauri Lankesh and that of rationalist MM Kalburgi over two years ago in north Karnataka.