The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) has alleged that the office of the Headlines Today news channel, which was attacked by suspected Sangh workers in New Delhi, had violated "norms of decent journalism" and regretted the damage to "some small property" during the protest against the media house.
"It was a peaceful demonstration. We are sorry that flower pots and some small property were damaged. We would have been happier had these damages not taken place," RSS leader Ram Madhav said about Friday's attack on office of a news channel. He claimed that though there were 2,000 people there, no one was injured. Madhav asserted that though several newspapers had reported on the alleged involvement of Sangh leaders in terror activities, this news channel had "violated norms of decent journalism".
Suspected Sangh Parivar activists had barged into the office of a TV news channel here yesterday and vandalised the lobby after it telecast a sting operation on an alleged plot to assassinate vice- president Hamid Ansari. The activists stormed into the building housing Headlines Today and its sister channel Aaj Tak. They damaged furniture in the office lobby.
Meanwhile, both the Editors Guild of India and the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) have condemned the attack. The vandalism was reportedly carried out by suspected Sangh Parivar activists, who were enraged over a sting operation broadcast by Headlines Today. The report purportedly showed some RSS functionaries planning to attack Vice-President Hamid Ansari.
"All organisations who believe in freedom of the media must protest against such intimidatory and uncivilised behaviour," the Guild said in a statement. "Such fascist methods to try and silence the media will only backfire," Guild president Rajdeep Sardesai added.
The incident was also condemned by NBA which voiced concern about growing incidents of violence against journalists. "There can be no acceptable reason for attacking the media who help make possible the fundamental right of freedom of expression," it said.
