Zahid Ali Khan, editor of Siasat, attacked

Hyderabad, March 21 The editor of a prominent Urdu daily in Hyderabad was attacked late in the night when he was returning home, prompting Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy to order an inquiry.

Zahid Ali Khan, editor of Siasat, was attacked Tuesday night at Mehdipatnam here while he was returning home. Some unidentified people intercepted his car and threw filth on him.

Khan alleged that Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) legislator Muqtada Afsar Khan was behind the assault as his newspaper had been exposing the legislator's alleged land grabbing activities.

The incident led to tension in the area as activists of Telugu Desam party (TDP), Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and Majlis Bachao Tehreek gathered in large numbers to protest the attack. The editor refused to leave the place until the police took action against the miscreants.

Minister for Information Mohammed Ali Shabbir, Police Commissioner Balwinder Singh and other officials rushed to the scene as the protest led to a massive traffic jam on the busy road. Meanwhile, protestors attacked a reporter and a photographer of another Urdu daily when they reached the scene to report the incident.

Khan later drove to state Home Minister K. Jana Reddy and the chief minister's residences to brief them about the attack. Police have detained three youths in connection with the assault.

As soon as the state assembly met Wednesday, opposition parties raised the issue and sought to move an adjournment motion.

The chief minister informed the house that Khan and two journalists were attacked. He said an inquiry would be conducted into both the incidents.

As Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member G. Kishan Reddy continued to stall the house demanding action against the culprits, speaker K.R. Suresh Reddy suspended him for a day.

Voicing their concern over the incident, leaders of TDP, CPI, CPI-M and BJP said press freedom was under attack. They alleged that the attack on Khan was the latest in a series of such incidents.