NEW DELHI (PTI): Indian Express, which is known as an antiestablishment daily, has been severely critical of the Congress1 government headed by Prime Minister Narasimha Rao in the past few months, particularly towards its stand on corruption in high places.
Taking advantage of a family dispute, the government is trying to take over the newspaper Surreptiously.
Two top Indian opposition leaders July 13 charged the federal government of attempting to take over Indian Express, a leading national daily.
Indian Express was presently before the Madras high court and until the high court decides that issue, it would be “patently wrong” national daily.
Indian Express was presently before the Madras high court and until the high court decides that issue, it would be “patently wrong” on the part of the government to supersede the board of directors and appoint an editorial board.
Shekhar said “the murky operations masterminded by some people in authority aim to terrorize Indian Express and tum it into an instrument of misinformation.
“I understand that an exposed administration should try 10 embarrass a newspaper that has consistently shown the government up as what it really is,” the Samajwadi party leader added. Rightwing Hindu nationalist Bhartiya Janata Party BJP President L.K.Advani, and former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar, said the government was trying to supersede the board of directors of Indian Express, making “use” of the family dispute within the group for the purpose. Advani. In a statement issued here, said the government was making “frantic attempts” to take Over Indian Express.
“The family dispute within the express establishment is being used only as an excuse to achieve this end,” he added. In a separate statement, Chandra Shekhar said the government was trying to supersede the duly appointed board of directors and appoint “pliable inspectors” so that Indian Express is unable to perform its duty of an “independent newspaper.”
Article extracted from this publication >> July 16, 1993
