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Undemocratic action, says INS chief

By Our Special Correspondent

KOZHIKODE NOV. 8. The president of the Indian Newspaper Society and chairman of the Press Trust of India, M.P. Veerendra Kumar, today voiced concern at the punitive action ordered by the Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Assembly against editors and senior journalists of The Hindu for breach of privilege of the House.

In a statement here, he warned that "intolerance of criticism would shatter the very foundations of democracy" and appealed to all lovers of democracy to protest the Assembly action against The Hindu and the DMK party organ, Murasoli, since "these were acts of aggressions by the State against the press".

Mr. Kumar, who is also the managing director of the Mathrubhumi group of publications, said the right to criticism and the right to review the decisions and functioning of democratic institutions such as the legislature was a basic right, which the press as a pillar of democracy was duty-bound to perform. To order punitive action against a responsible newspaper for criticising the Chief Minister was undemocratic.

The arrests smacked of intolerance and were indefensible, especially since the words found objectionable were used mainly against the Chief Minister and were not of a nature that was likely to lower the dignity of the House or the Speaker.

There was no justification for taking action for comments made against the Chief Minister since she was a public servant whose actions were bound to be under the constant critical eye of the press.

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