Resignation Of ABP Editor Days After Mamata Banerjee’s Tirade Against The Newspaper Triggers Controversy

The sudden resignation of the editor of Ananda Bazar Patrika, the most widely circulated Bengali daily, days after police served summons on him following a tirade against his newspaper by Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has triggered a controversy and invited charges of intolerance.

According to this report in The Tribune, the Kolkata Police had earlier summoned the newspaper’s editor Anirban Chattopadhyay in connection with a case lodged against the newspaper on a report it had published on inadequate supply of PPEs to staff of a hospital treating Covid-19 positive patients.

The police had originally summoned Chattopadhyay to the Hare Street Police Station for questioning on a complaint filed by the state government about the news report. Chattopadhyay wrote back saying he had applied for anticipatory bail and that he had been advised against going to public places and exposing himself to the risk of getting infected by the coronavirus.

The police did not pursue the matter. But on 27 May, Chief Minister Banerjee launched a tirade against Ananda Bazar Patrika while speaking to journalists at the state secretariat. She accused the newspaper of “creating panic, spreading apprehensions and provoking people”.

“We were asking for help from select groups, but that did not materialise. You have caused unthinkable damage to the state’s image and you will realise this only when you yourselves face some problems,” she said while referring to the newspaper.

She also alluded to recent layoffs and salary cuts by the newspaper management. “You people do business in Bengal, sack people here and even cut the salary of your employees. You would have been taught a lesson if you were in any other state, and under any other government. We are a humane government, we work in democratic ways and we do not believe in taking action against such acts that you do,” Banerjee thundered.

Hours after this, the Hare Street Police issued fresh summons to the newspaper editor. Chattopadhayay quietly resigned within a couple of days as the editor of the newspaper. His resignation triggered a flood of criticism in social media with many accusing the state government and the chief minister of stifling press freedom and behaving in an authoritarian manner.