Kanker (Chhattisgarh): In a shocking incident, a journalist has alleged that he was assaulted by aides of Congress MLA Shishupal Shorey in Kanker of Chhattisgarh on Saturday.

A video of the incident went viral on social media in which senior journalist Kamal Shukla is seen being thrashed by a mob. However, the police has stated that “it was a scuffle between two groups of journalists”.

Kamal Shukla while talking to media claimed that he was assaulted by Jitendra Singh Thakur (former president of Kanker Nagar Palika) near Kanker police station.

“The incident happened as I was doing stories on the involvement of Congress MLA Shishupal Shorey in illegal sand mining. The goons of the MLA thrashed me and another journalist Satish Yadav,” Shukla alleged. Satish Yadav had filed RTI to seek information regarding Kanker Nagar Palika. So he was beaten by Jitendra Singh Thakur and his aides, he added.

Chhattisgarh: Journalists beaten by alleged Congress workers in Kanker. One of the journalists says,’Goons of Congress MLA thrashed me&1 more journalist as we’re doing stories on his involvement in illegal sand mining.Police knew about threats given by them to us but did nothing’ pic.twitter.com/ZKDhLb2FDB

— ANI (@ANI) September 27, 2020

“Police were aware of the incident but they did not intervene,” Shukla alleged

“I have filed an FIR with the local police and will pursue it despite the threats,” he added.

Meanwhile, Abdul Gaffar Memon, who claims to be the representative of Congres MLA Shishupal Shorey, alleged that Shukla and his friends tried to “kill” him.

“Shukla warned me and threatened me. When I came out of the police station, Kamal Shukla and his friends attacked me. They abused me and threatened to kill me. The intervention of local people saved me. Nobody is acting against Kamal Shukla even though he continued to post inflammatory posts on social media,” Memon alleged.

Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Shailesh Nitin Trivedi said no party leader was involved in the attack.

“No accused is associated with Congress, the law will take its own course,” he said.

Reacting to the incident, Chhattisgarh Home Minister Tamradhwaj Sahu said that he was apprised of the incident.

“FIRs have been filed by the concerned people. Police will take action and investigate. All the guilty will be punished,” the Minister said.

Earlier, police in a statement said that “Around 1:45 pm on September 26, 2020, a brawl broke out between Kamal Shukla (53), editor of Bhumkal Samachar, a Hindi daily, and Ganesh Tiwari, joint editor of Dainik Shrambindu, and his associates. A case was registered at Kanker police station against Jitendra Singh Thakur, Gaffar Memon, Maqbool Khan, Ganesh Tiwari. under Sections 294 (obscene acts), 506 (criminal intimidation), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC.”