Media persons today urged Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik to take stern action against the concerned police officials allegedly involved in misbehaving and heckling media persons while discharging their duties at Bangamunda near here yesterday.

The media persons, supported by local political parties, staged a demonstration before the office of additional district magistrate, Rourkela today.

They submitted a memorandum addressed to the chief minister, a copy which was given to director general of Police, Orissa through the ADM S K Das, demanding action against the police and other security personnel involved in misbehaving wih the media at Bangamunda.

The media persons also condemned the attack on a journalist by the post graduate students of MKCG Medical college, Berhampur, recently and demanded arrest of the medicos involved in the incident.

A group of journalists who had travelled to Bangamunda, including camera persons of the electronic media, were detained and questioned when the police stopped a bus full of passengers suspecting them to be Maoists.

Out of 41 passengers, police released 33 persons and detained eight others for interrogation.

The journalists have threatened to boycott all government programmes if no action is taken against the police officials.