Three journalists injured in Kolkata lathicharge

Kolkata, May 22 (IANS) Three journalists were among those injured in lathicharge by the city police during a march by Left Front leaders and supporters to the West Bengal Secretariat on Monday.

While a senior police officer confirmed injuries to three journalists and promised to identify and take action against those responsible, the Press Club of Kolkata condemned the attack.

"Three journalists have been injured. Attack on journalists is condemnable, regrettable. We will identify and take action against those responsible," Joint Commissioner of City Police (Headquarters) Supratim Sarkar told media persons.

The Press Club said in a statement, "The attack on journalists on field duty on Monday is undesirable and unfortunate. The Press Club asks the administration to look into the reasons for the incidents. We condemn the happenings."

Meanwhile, protesting the attack on journalists and camerapersons as also "innocent pedestrians" and participants in the "peaceful" March to Nabanna (state Secretariat), the Left Front Kolkata district unit called for a march on Tuesday from the Lenin Statue in the Maidan area to the Entally Market in central Kolkata.

Sympathising with the injured journalists, Communist Party of India-Marxist state Secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra said it only showed "the panic in the state government".

"I saw journalists coming under attack two-three times. Why did the police attack journalists? They were only doing their job. I condemn the attack and sympathise with the injured journalists and camerapersons," he said.