There are conspirators in media: Pinarayi Vijayan

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday said that there are conspirators in the media fraternity of the state.

“Some of you (journalists) are capable of conspiring. There are conspirators in the media fraternity,” the Chief Minister said while talking to media persons.

V.G. Vineetha -- a reporter of 24 News -- has been named as an accused in a case registered by the Kerala Police after a shoe was hurled at the bus in which the Chief Minister along with his cabinet was travelling as part of their state wide yatra in Ernakulam district early this month by the student wing of Congress.

Along with the student activists, Vineetha -- a recently married journalist -- was also named in the charge sheet for taking part in the alleged conspiracy for the shoe attack.

“I don’t have any reason to doubt the police's charge sheet. The police register a case based on evidence. If you think it’s not true, come up with evidence,” the Chief Minister said.

When asked to look at Vineetha's case, the Chief Minister said, “I will not have a second thought about this case.”

“Don’t think that you can put me off by raising your voice. Have you come here to argue with me? If that is the case, I can deal with it too,” the Chief Minister told the media persons.

During Vijayan's first government (2016-21), the Chief Minister chased away the media who were taking visuals inside a meeting place in the state capital.

He has also become the first Kerala Chief Minister to stop the customary weekly cabinet briefings, which were undertaken by all chief ministers for more than four decades.