SFI activists barge into news channel's Kerala office, PCI demands action

Kerala, March 04:In a shocking development, the Students’ Federation of India, a Student wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) unleashed chaos while barging into the office of a news channel in Kerala’s Ernakulam on Friday and intimidated the staff.

 

More than 30 activists of the SFI, the student wing of the ruling CPI(M), trespassed into the office of the Malayalam news channelAsianet News.

 

 

 

Based on the complaint lodged by the news channel, a case has been registered against the activists of the SFI, according to police.

 

The Malayalam news channel in its complaint alleged that the SFI activists allegedly entered the office at around 8 pm and raised slogans against it. The activists also pushed aside the security staff and intimidated its employees, the police said, PTI reported.

 

The activists have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting) and 149. The activists allegedly threatened the security officers and also entered the studio and threatened to stop the operations. The SFI alleged that the media house is "crossing its limit and is forgetting the media ethics".

 

Criticising the SFI, the Press Club of India urged the Kerala government to launch an investigation into the incident.

 

 

 

"We express concern and lodge our protest over SFI activists reportedly entering the @AsianetNewsML office in Ernakulam and intimidating the staff. These strong-arm tactics have no place in a democracy. The Kerala government should probe this incident swiftly," the Press Club of India said in a tweet.

 

Congress leader VD Satheeshan and the Kerala Union of Working Journalists also condemned the incident and demanded that the SFI activists be arrested.