Agartala: Oct 28. MLA Ranjit Debbarma has strongly criticized the Tripura Journalist Union (TJU) for issuing a press release in support of Pranab Sarkar, Secretary of the TJU and Executive Member of its State Committee, against whom he has filed a criminal case.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, Debbarma said he had lodged the case against Sarkar and his associates for “intentional and deliberate broadcasting of defamatory news aimed at ruining my personal and political career.” He described the TJU’s move as “highly unexpected, undesirable, and an attempt to influence public perception.”
Debbarma alleged that Sarkar, who also holds several influential positions, including President of the Tripura Journalist Union, Member of the Press Club of India, and President of a club in Agartala, has “used the Union’s platform for personal gain.”
The MLA further questioned the TJU’s silence on how Sarkar allegedly obtained “fake and fabricated Bangladeshi identity documents” related to him, saying the Union should have sought clarification instead of defending the journalist.
Debbarma clarified that the photograph of Sarkar shared on his social media profile was “publicly available,” adding that the journalist was free to seek legal remedy if aggrieved.
Concluding his statement, the MLA urged the TJU to “refrain from supporting individual misconduct” and to uphold neutrality, ethics, and transparency in journalism.
