Kolkata, Feb 10 (IANS) An angry mob attacked the OB van of Star Ananda, a Bengali news TV channel, and assaulted media persons at Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's rally near Singur Saturday.
The group of frenzied men at Baratelia near Singur, where Banerjee was allowed to hold the rally, attacked the OB van of Star Ananda, a channel that is seen as toeing the pro-industrialisation line.
The attack took place right in front of senior Trinamool Congress leaders though Banerjee was yet to arrive at the venue when the incident took place in the afternoon.
A cameraman of ETV, Jyotinmoy Basu, who tried to capture the marauding men smashing the vehicle with stones, was hit on his head and had to be hospitalised.
Banerjee later said the attack was carried out by Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) men who tried to foil her meeting.
However, the channel's correspondent at the site identified the attackers as Trinamool Congress supporters. The channel alleged that police were not in sight when the attack occurred.
It was not for the first time that Star Ananda was at the receiving end as its correspondents were heckled during Banerjee's 25-day-long fast at Esplanade East.
The controversy over the land acquisition for industrial projects in West Bengal has left the media in the state highly polarised. While some channels like Star Ananda of the ABP group are supporting the industrialisation, some are supporting the farmers' movement and criticising the ruling CPI-M.
As a result, both electronic media and newspapers on either side are subjected to the wrath of the Trinamool Congress and the villagers or the CPI-M workers with police remaining mute spectators on many occasions.
