The OAS Association’s Rayagada unit has appealed to the media not to project lopsided views hampering development of the district.
The association took two examples while requesting the media to present facts and balanced views to the people.
Recently, it was published that cattle protection activist Tirtha Sahu was arrested at the behest of district Collector Jagannath Mohanty when he was placing a demand to stop illegal trafficking and protection of cattle at the grievances cell.
Sub-Collector filed an FIR alleging that Sahu misbehaved with the Collector and threatened to kill him.
In this case Sahu’s version has so far been published. Sahu has stated that the Collector ignored his grievance time and again. He was arrested by the police, manhandled and sent to jail. While in jail’s custody, he was severely thrashed and got injured in groin area. He was then hosptialised. He languished in the jail custody for almost a fortnight.
This incident created a furor in the State and was disapproved by many groups. Consequently, Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Maneka Gandhi wrote a letter to the CM of Odisha emphasising the excess administrative abuse. The BJP too observed a bandh and burnt an effigy of the Collector demanding the Collector’s ouster.
Another incident it cited is execution of Odia as official language demand made by the Kalinga Sena. While Sena activists went on a spree of disfiguring sign boards written in English and other languages, its president Janmejaya Swain was put behind bars at the instance of the Collector. Then Kalinga Sena took out a rally against the Collector and burnt his effigy.
“These two incidents were widely covered in all the print and electronic media. The matter has become very sensitive and complex. The case is now sub-judice and the Odisha State Human Rights Commission has also intervened. Considering the gravity of the situation, the media should refrain from putting imbalance news and cooperate with the district administration for inclusive growth,” said the association in a release.