New Delhi, Feb 20 (UNI) The Editors Guild of India has expressed 'shock'' over reported moves by the Andhra Pradesh authorities to ''raid and search'' the offices of Eanadu Group of its newspapers and its editor Raoji Rao, saying it was a blatant attempt to muzzle the media.
''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,'' its Secretary General K S Sachidanandan Murthy and President Alok Mehta said in a statement.
The Guild also made a strong plea to the Central government and the civil society to intervene strongly against any witch-hunt against Eenadu and its editor.
''A newspaper cannot be hounded just because the government of Andhra Pradesh and the ruling party in state dislikes its editorial policy,'' they said.
Dr Murthy and Mr Mehta also contended that investigations into the financial company owned by Mr Rao and his family were the court and law should be allowed to take its natural course without being distorted by any antagonism against Eenadu.
''There are reports that the authorities are planning to obtain a search warrant against the offices of Eenadu and of Mr Ramoji Rao. But any move by the police to search the offices of newspaper and and its editor amounts to a direct attack on the freedom of the press,'' they said.
They said Mr Rao, a respected editor and past president of the Guild, had informed the organisation that for the ''past 100 days an undeclared emergency is in operation'' againt him 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 statement said.
UNI
''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,'' its Secretary General K S Sachidanandan Murthy and President Alok Mehta said in a statement.
The Guild also made a strong plea to the Central government and the civil society to intervene strongly against any witch-hunt against Eenadu and its editor.
''A newspaper cannot be hounded just because the government of Andhra Pradesh and the ruling party in state dislikes its editorial policy,'' they said.
Dr Murthy and Mr Mehta also contended that investigations into the financial company owned by Mr Rao and his family were the court and law should be allowed to take its natural course without being distorted by any antagonism against Eenadu.
''There are reports that the authorities are planning to obtain a search warrant against the offices of Eenadu and of Mr Ramoji Rao. But any move by the police to search the offices of newspaper and and its editor amounts to a direct attack on the freedom of the press,'' they said.
They said Mr Rao, a respected editor and past president of the Guild, had informed the organisation that for the ''past 100 days an undeclared emergency is in operation'' againt him 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 statement said.
UNI
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