Taking another unprecedented step in the midst of a continuing tussle with the Bengal government, Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar sought to discuss with members of the Kolkata Press Club the alleged ban on press freedom by the Mamata Banerjee-led government in the state.
Giving information about this on Sunday itself, the Governor said that in a meeting to be held on Monday with the Executive of the Press Club, Mamata discussed many disturbing actions by the government, freedom of media and criminal cases against journalists etc.
He said that the press clubs at the state and national level as watchdogs need to ensure media freedom. A senior official of the Kolkata Press Club said that the governor had demanded talks and they have agreed. A senior journalist and an executive of the press club said the demand for such talks by the governor is unprecedented in the history of the press club. He said that the Press Club had not raised any such issue, but the governor and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders alleged that the Mamata Banerjee government was threatening the media. Dhankar's movie comes in the wake of allegations that some cable-based local news channels had gone off-air and cable operators had shut them down. The move was taken after allegedly spreading fake news by some district-based journalists.
