Skirmish in Secretariat: Minister made Mistake more than the Press

Subhas Chandra Pattanayak

As Media Unity for Freedom of Press (MUFP) demanded public apology from Revenue Minister Bijoyshree Routroy for the Monday assault on Press in his official chamber in the Secretariat, under the ‘Freedom Tree’ in front of  Jaydev Bhawan  on September 16, the Minister told a hand-picked group of press persons at his residence that he was abused by the journalists instead.

He alleged that agents of land mafia in the guise of journalists had entered into his room forcefully and subjected him to pushing and knocking, as he refused to entertain them. He did not say who was or were agent(s) of land mafia amongst the journalists, if it was within his knowledge.

This being a serious allegation against media persons, the public is to know the truth.

We would like to produce two videos here.

The first one is a clip of his entrance into the Secretariat. In this he shouts at a TV journalist who was trying for an update, if possible, on official action on a notorious land scam that has been rocking the State. It bares the minister’s disposition and how contemptuous it is towards the media persons.

The second video is the records of how he behaved in his chamber. A former Minister of the State, Mr. Suresh Kumar Rautroy had met the Revenue Minister with a delegation in his chamber demanding stern action against the land looters amongst who are some known blue-eyed-boys of the Chief Minister. As usual, the TV journalists had gone into the room to watch the proceeding. As would be seen from the video, seated near the Minister, Mr. Sura Rautroy (as he popularly is known) apprised the TV journalists of his discussions with the minister during which the minister went into the rest room. As he came out, the journalists wanted his bytes. The video would show how the Minister suddenly went berserk. He even attacked a particular TV journalist, who had covered a land scandal live in which the Minister is involved.

To the Press he has said, “When I extended my hands to shut down their cameras, they pushed me and knocked down (CAMERA BAND KARIBAKU HATA BADHAIBA BELE SEMANE THELAPELA KALE) (Samaja, 17 September 2014, P.12, Cl. 5-6).

It is sad that the State is having such a political Government where ministers indulge in land grabbing, ministers indulge in chit fund swindling, ministers indulge in assault on media persons and in leveling reverse accusations to hoodwink the people, oblivious of how constitutional authorities like the Courts and CAG have stripping it layer by layer in mega scams like mining scam, water scam etcetera.

Clearly, in Monday skirmishes in his Secretariat chamber, the minister made mistakes more than the Press.