Shillong, Sept 12: The Shillong Press Club expresses its concern over the
incident that happened outside the Shillong Press Club on September 12 around 1 pm
where members of the Hynniewtrep Youth Council and the State Police personnel were
seen gathered outside the Press Club in view of the proposed press conference called by
the Bramachari Mukundanand, representative of Jagatguru Shankaracharya Swami
Avimukteshwaranda Saraswati.
The Club conveyed that it is an independent and neutral entity where every individual and group, irrespective of race, caste, creed, community, culture, and religion is welcome to hold a press conference on any issue (s).
The presence of the police and NGO leaders and members today undermines the authority
and integrity of the Shillong Press Club, to the extent that the Club has been blamed for
the cancellation of the proposed press conference.
“We wish to clarify that the proposed press conference was cancelled by the clients
(Bramachari Mukundanand) at the eleventh hour, not the Shillong Press Club.
After a brief conversation with the President of the SPC, leaders of the HYC informed their
decision to come to the Club was to oppose the reported move of the said organisation to
hold a rally in Shillong — the Gau Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra to declare Cow as Mother of the Nation. But it is to be noted here that the reported move was only an assumption as it was never mentioned in the letter sent to the Shillong Press Club”, the SPC said..
This is to inform everyone concerned that the Shillong Press Club never issues any written
approval to hold press conferences at the Press Club. This is to clarify further that
regarding today’s incident, the President of the SPC had personally called up the members
of the Jagatguru Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranda Saraswati to inquire about their delay in arriving at the Club and allegation on the SPC rejecting the request by the former to hold a press conference is unfounded and baseless.
