The Hindu : National : Editors Guild of India condemns "moves" to raid offices of <I>Eenadu </I>

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Wednesday, Feb 21, 2007
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Editors Guild of India condemns "moves" to raid offices of Eenadu

The Editors Guild of India has strongly condemned the "planned moves" to raid and search the offices of the Eenadu newspaper and its Editor Ramoji Rao as a "blatant attempt to muzzle the media."

In a statement signed by its president Alok Mehta and secretary general K.S. Sachidananda Murthy, the Guild said:

"The Editors Guild of India is shocked by the attempts of authorities of the Andhra Pradesh Government which is provoked by members of the ruling party to pressurise the Eenadu newspaper and its Editor Mr. Ramoji Rao. There are reports that the authorities are planning to obtain a search warrant against the offices of Eenadu and of Mr. Ramoji Rao, ostensibly to search for papers connected with a financial company owned by Mr. Rao. But any move by the police to search the offices of the newspaper and its Editor amounts to a direct attack on the freedom of the press.

"The Guild strongly and unequivocally condemns the planned moves to raid and search the offices of Eenadu and its Editor Mr. Ramoji Rao as a blatant attempt to muzzle the media and a violation of the Constitutional protection to the press. Mr. Ramoji Rao, a respected Editor and past president of the Editors Guild of India, has informed the Guild that for the past 100 days an undeclared Emergency is in operation against himself and his newspaper. He has accused the Government of Andhra Pradesh of indulging in selective media leaks to destroy the credibility of himself as Editor and of Eenadu.

"The Guild cautions the Andhra Pradesh Government not to use the investigations against the financial company owned by Mr. Ramoji Rao and his family to settle scores with an independent newspaper by planning secretly to search the premises of Eenadu newspaper and its Editor. The Guild expects the Government of India and the civil society to intervene strongly against any witch-hunt against Eenadu and its Editor Mr. Ramoji Rao. A newspaper cannot be hounded just because the Government of Andhra Pradesh and the ruling party in the State dislike the editorial policy of the newspaper.

"In the matter of the investigations into the financial company owned by Mr. Rao and his family, the matter is before the higher courts and law should take its natural course, without being distorted by any antagonism against Eenadu."

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