THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, Nov 12: A section of the print and electronic media had to bear the overreaction of a cop on duty during the visit of UP CM Yogi Adityanath at the Housing Colony ground on Monday evening.
Incident of a policeman’s misconduct
The battery of journalists was doing their job when a cop there quite unwarrantedly patted his hand on the shoulders of one senior journalist asking him to be off from there as someone in the gathering there to see Yogi was having difficulty following the battery of the journalists standing there in a row. The fact of the matter, however, was the journalists were within their limits and were no part of the gathering or the crowd.
The cop even bandied words with the journalists in a domineering tone.
This issue of ‘misbehaviour’ of the cop with the journalists was raised in the late Monday evening press conference of the District Election Officer cum Deputy Commissioner of Palamu Shashi Ranjan by the resident editor of a three-decade-old Hindi newspaper Rashtriya Navin Mail, Rana Arun Singh.
Rana Arun Singh pointed out that the action of the cop was quite offensive and the man in uniform ought not to have done such a thing.
The Jharkhand Story correspondent was there in that press conference where Rana Arun Singh brought this episode to the notice of the deputy commissioner expressing ‘concern and unhappiness the way the policeman on duty misbehaved with the journalists who were busy doing their professional duties’.
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DC assures action
Singh wished the DC Shashi Ranjan should ‘ensure that such a repeat of the unpleasant episode is not done’.
Shashi Ranjan took immediate note of what Singh said then said, “This incident or act of the cop is unacceptable. It must not have happened at all.”
Shashi Ranjan even asked the journalists “If any one of you wishes to give your complaint in writing, I am here to take strong action against the errant but since you have apprised me of the episode, I assure you there will not be any misdemeanour now”.
He then directed district public relations officer Dr Asim Kumar to ‘be with the journalists to see no wrong is done to the journalists.’
Social media vigilance and media access at polling stations
Shashi Ranjan took this opportunity to have his word too when he told the media persons in the same press conference that “Administration looks forward to your cooperation which the Palamu district has been finding in abundance but nevertheless if any social media doer does any wrong by flashing fake or unsubstantiated material then in that event stern action will be taken against the wrongdoer.”
A senior electronic media man pointed out to the DC that some presiding officers object to taking pictures of the booths, queues to voters and assured minimum facilities if available there and where the lensman is not interested in taking pictures of the sanctum sanctorum of the voting enclosure and also when the media person has the authority card issued under the signature and seal of the CEO Jharkhand to which district election officer Shashi Ranjan again said, “Some presiding officers might have interpreted things too poorly. No picture taking of sanctum sanctorum but of the voters there is no harm.”
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