CHANDIGARH: Condemning the Jammu and Kashmir Press Bill, Singh, Home and Public Relations Minister, Haryana, said here that was the first calculated move by Government, in which the Congress I was also a party, to muzzle the Press,
He said the step must have been by Chief Minister, Farooq Abdullah in connivance with the Prime Minister. If a concerned voice was not raised against this “black law,” the Union Government would soon follow suit.
The Minister said media was the only forum through which the could express its point of view on issues as AIR and Doordarshan under the control of the Government. Such a step would cripple democracy and hence the Bill should be opposed by all.
Sampat Singh said the Rajiv Gandhi regime had failed on all fronts economic, social and political. Hence the Prime Minister ‘was trying to play the communal card in the Lok Sabha elections. This was being done to divert the attention of the people from the failures of his government.
The Minister said Gandhi was indulging in character assassination of Opposition leaders, masterminding riots and playing the Indira card. He appealed to the people to beware of the nefarious designs of the Congress (I).
Article extracted from this publication >> September 8, 1989
