The incident which happened on July 10, is deeply disturbing. A local journalist Krishna Tiwari was beaten and kicked cruelly. The reason was that he was covering the block pramukh elections.
Assaults on Journalists
This is not the first time that a journalist is assaulted or attacked in UP. But, what is surprising is that the journalist is seen beaten by the IAS Officer and some alleged BJP workers.
However, this incident came to light as the video of the persecution of the journalist went viral on the social media.
Being an ex IAS, I am ashamed of this unruly behaviour of my service colleague. Few similar incidents have also been reported in the past from different parts of the country.
LBSNAA need to relook at its training process before its too late. pic.twitter.com/siW5SZsPRi
— Surya Pratap Singh IAS Rtd. (@suryapsingh_IAS) July 11, 2021
Chief Development Officer
The Chief Development Officer (CDO) Divyanshu Patel was caught on camera beating and kicking the video journalist Krishna Tiwari. Moreover, he smashed the mobile phone of the journalist in Unnao.
This IAS officer Divyanshu Patel, seen smashing the latter’s mobile phone in Unnao during the panchayat polls is known to be a corrupt and a controversial officer.
Demolition of the Mosque
It is said that he was the one who passed the orders for the controversial demolition of a mosque in the town. He was the sub-divisional magistrate in Burbank then. However, the Muslim bodies protested the demolition and said that the demolition of the mosque was “against the law”.
Rewards
Due to this controversy, he got the present position of the Chief Development Officer (CDO) at Unnao as a reward for his work. It is said that he has close relations with the BJP’s OBC leaders, particularly, a senior BJP leader. Hence, he forgot all the morals and values taught in his training.
Editor’s‘ Guild
The Editors’ Guild of India condemned the assault on the journalist and demanded strict action against him. It suggested the government to take concrete steps to improve the environment for independent journalism.
Furthermore, it said that it is “deeply disturbed by the continuing trend of heavy-handed by the state authorities in Uttar Pradesh with respect to journalists and media”
Conclusion
According to sources, the CDO apologized to Krishna Tiwari for his behavior. However, the government has asked for a detailed report on the incident.
Asking for a report and pacifying the people is not the need of the hour. People understand that it is just an eye-wash. The training academies should correct themselves for producing such officers.
The root cause can be the officer’s survival tactics in this cruel world. But it is high time that officers like him stop their arrogance and shameful behavior.
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