Tripura’s chief minister, Biplab Deb, had criticized state media for its coverage of Covid.
Agartala:
Days after Tripura’s chief minister, Biplab Deb, caused a furor by declaring that he would not “forgive” state media for their “confusing” coverage of the Covid crisis, he sought to clarify his comments.
The Chief Minister said Tuesday night that although he never intended to hurt anyone, he was fulfilling his duty as a guardian of the state. He said he had to protect people from confusion over handling the coronavirus pandemic.
“The issue I raised in my speech that day was not intended to hurt or criticize anyone. It was to alert the people of Tripura to confusion and some conspiracy. It is my duty to protect people from all this. Sometimes the publicity is such a monkey is shown as a tiger and the tiger as a monkey, “Deb told a delegation of electronic media journalists.
Last week Deb launched a vehement criticism of a section of Tripura newspapers for publishing stories alleging that the health crisis had been mishandled by the BJP government.
“Some newspapers and journalists are overexciting and confusing the people of Tripura. History will not forget them. I will not forgive them either. The people of Tripura will not forget them. Biplab Deb will not forget them. I do what I say, I keep my words. history will continue to witness it, “Deb had said.
The comment was strongly criticized by the press; The journalists said it was an attack on press freedom and some reportedly gave the Chief Minister an ultimatum to withdraw the statement.
A rural journalist who criticized Deb through an aggressive post on social media was mistreated.
The Forum for the Protection of the Media and Journalists condemned the statement of the Chief Minister and convened a meeting of journalists in Agartala.
“In the past, newspapers and journalists working in Tripura had clashes with the government but, for the past two years, the state has tried to turn the media into slaves,” said Subal Dey, president of the group.
The dispute over press freedom in the state came shortly after Tripura’s High Court requested a government report on anti-Covid measures and infrastructure. The report will be presented on Friday.
At the hearing, conducted by videoconference, the court said: “Recent newspaper reports, particularly published in the vernacular, have reported on the plight of patients and relatives of those who tested positive. Certain deficiencies are projected in the public health system “.
Officials from the Tripura health department have said the testing facility has been greatly expanded. The state now has four testing labs: two with RT-PCR units and two with TRUENAT machines.
Among the smallest states, Tripura has the highest testing rate per million, at 83,093. The state has tested more than 3.22 lakh people, most through rapid antigen test (RAT) kits, official sources said.
The center also sent a team of experts to help the state, where Covid-related deaths are on the rise.
Tripura has the highest coronavirus death rate in the Northeast (1.10 percent) and 217 deaths have been recorded. Overall, the state has around 20,000 confirmed Covid cases so far, of which around 7,500 are active.
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