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HYDERABAD: Three opposition parties on Saturday assailed the Congress Government's attempts to stifle the freedom of press by issuing notices to the Ramoji group that runs Eenadu daily and its criticism of newspapers that faulted the regime's high-handedness.

The TDP, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi and the BJP separately described the Government's action against the Ramoji group as an attack on the media. The TDP took exception to the manner in which Congress MP V. Arun Kumar spoke about The Hindu's editorial on the Government's intolerance.

Addressing a press conference here, TDP legislators — N. Janardhan Reddy and D. Umamaheswara Rao — questioned Mr. Kumar's credentials in commenting on a newspaper of The Hindu's standing. "Both Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and Mr. Kumar should desist from attacking the media. Press should be allowed to play its normal role."

They wondered as to why Dr. Reddy had no complaint against Eenadu when it gave wide coverage to the `padayatra' he had undertaken as Leader of the Opposition in 2003.

TRS president K. Chandrasekar Rao said in Nalgonda that Dr. Reddy had the tendency of silencing his critics by adopting any means. "Such onslaught is not fair in a democracy. We condemn it."

BJP State president Bandaru Dattatreya, in an open letter to Dr. Reddy, said it was time that his Government took note of the suggestions in The Hindu editorial, stop its assault on press freedom and clear the doubts it has created in the minds of depositors of Margadarsi Financiers.

While the RBI and the Centre were the statutory authorities to deal with Margadarsi, the State Government appeared to have lost its sense of judgement by claiming to possess these powers, he said. He said the unanimity among the opposition parties on the Government's actions was proof of its vengeful action.

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