Hyderabad: A female journalist working with Mojo TV, a Telugu news channel, and the camera person in her crew were attacked on Wednesday by men who were protesting against the entry of women of menstrual age into the Sabarimala shrine, in the Gandhinagar area.
Several Hindu organisations, including the Vishva Hindu Parishad, staged a protest at Dharna Chowk near Indira Park, Lower Tank Bund on the Sabarimala Ayyappa Seva Samajam issue.
When Mojo TV crew tried to cover the event, the crowd objected and asked them to leave, raising slogans like “Go Back Mojo TV”.
Gandhinagar police inspector Mr Sreenivasa Rao said the situation escalated quickly. “The police staff present there rushed to their rescue and escorted them to their vehicle. When asked if they wanted to file any complaint, they refused,” he said.
Last September, when the Supreme Court passed a verdict saying women of all ages can enter the shrine, Mojo TV sent its female reporter, Kavitha, to enter the temple.
However, angry protesters prevented Kavitha and activist Rehena Fathima from entering the temple. Since then, the Hindu groups in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana who are opposing entry of women into the shrine are angry with the channel.
When the journalists were returning after being denied coverage and arguments, about 15-20 members followed and surrounded them.
“They started shouting ‘Because of you people, women entered Sabarimala’. We engaged in a heated argument with them. Around that time, a man in an orange shirt attacked my camera person and then tried to assault me,” said the reporter.
The staff submitted a video of the incident as evidence to Hyderabad police commissioner Anjani Kumar seeking action against the offenders.
