Journalist Shot at Flower Festival Sparks Press Freedom Concerns

A TV journalist, Deep Saikia, was seriously injured in a shooting while reporting on a flower festival in Manipur's Senapati district, police reported on Sunday. Saikia, associated with Nagaland's Hornbill TV, was shot in the armpit and legs while covering the Zinnia flower festival in the Naga-populated Laii village.

Following the attack on Saturday evening, locals immediately apprehended the assailant armed with an air gun and turned him over to law enforcement. Saikia, originally from Assam's Jorhat, was initially treated at the Senapati district hospital before being transferred to Nagaland for further medical care.

The incident has sparked intense investigative efforts to uncover the motivation behind the attack, particularly after Saikia faced criticism from Nagaland's Deputy Chief Minister Yanthungo Patton at a recent public event. Hornbill TV's editor, Dzuthono Mekro, condemned the shooting, labeling it an affront to press freedom and urging a comprehensive, unbiased investigation by regional governments.

(With inputs from agencies.)