Journalists in Chhattisgarh's Raipur have a found a unique way to protest against the alleged assault on a colleague by BJP leaders, without hampering their work. 

The journalist, Suman Pandey, who works with a Raipur-based news website, was allegedly thrashed by BJP office-bearers during the party's district-level meeting in Raipur on Saturday. 

BJP's Raipur district president Rajeev Agrawal and three local office-bearers -- Vijay Vyas, Utkarsh Trivedi and Deena Dongre -- were arrested late Saturday following the incident. However, all were released on bail bond from the police station.

Now, journalists have launched an indefinite protest in front of the Raipur Press Club demanding their expulsion from the BJP. They, however, did not stop working and found a unique way to register their protest. 

On Wednesday, they interacted with BJP leaders, attended press conferences at the party office with heads covered. According to a report in The Print, Raipur Press Club president Damu Amedare said at least 500-600 city reporters are protesting the incident by wearing helmets and conducting bike rallies.

"Whether it’s an event, press conference, meeting, or even taking a sound byte, we won’t stand for a threat to our safety,” Amedare said. 

State BJP spokesperson Sacchidanand Upasane, who was also present at the party meeting, on Saturday said his party men had apologised to Pandey.

"The closed door district-level meeting was held to review the defeat in the recent Assembly elections. Media persons were asked to leave the meeting room after taking initial footage. Party leaders and workers were also asked to keep their mobile phones switched off," he said.

On finding a man recording the video of the meeting, he was told to stop it and asked to delete the footage. After he introduced himself as a journalist, party leaders said he should delete the video, Upasane said.

"A minor scuffle broke out between the journalist and party leaders over the issue, following which I asked the journalist to sit there for a while and later told him to go outside," Upasane said.

Later, the party leaders apologised to journalists protesting at the venue, he said, adding that BJP's state president would look into the incident. 

According to Pandey, he was beaten up for covering a scuffle among BJP leaders during the meeting called to review the saffron outfit's defeat in the November assembly polls.

"I was recording a video of the meeting on my mobile phone when suddenly BJP leaders started arguing among themselves over some issue. Rajeev Agarwal and another person, Utkarsh Trivedi, told me to delete the video of the scuffle, which I refused. They then started hitting me and forcefully deleted the video," Pandey said. 

The journalist sustained minor head injuries in the incident. 

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel also condemned the alleged attack on the journalist.

"The incident is condemnable. Police have taken action in the incident, but BJP should also take action against those who had thrashed the journalist. Don't they (BJP) have faith in democracy. The way BJP is trying to weaken constitutional institutions, it is also trying to weaken the fourth pillar of democracy," Baghel said.

The incident was a result of frustration of the BJP over its loss in the recent assembly election, he claimed.

"We have already taken an initiative to enact a journalist protection law. But in view of the incident at the BJP office, it seems the law has to be enacted soon," he added.

(With PTI inputs)