The Hindu : Sena condemns decision on FDI in print media

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 28, 2002

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Sena condemns decision on FDI in print media

Mumbai June 27. After the Telugu Desam Party, another key NDA ally, Shiv Sena, today flayed the Union Cabinet's decision of allowing foreign direct investment (FDI) in the print media, saying the ``move is against the national interest''.

``We strongly condemn the decision, affecting the country's self-respect and independence of newspaper industry'', a hard-hitting editorial in the Sena mouth-piece Saamna said.

``Will the Government allow foreign investment in Defence as the department is short of funds?'' the editorial asked. ``Those nations, where the fourth estate is not independent, ask for slavery and this is nothing but beginning of the servility'', it said.

The editorial sarcastically said that now it remained to be seen which foreign country would invest in Panchajanya and Organiser, the Sangh Parivar publications.

The controversial Cabinet decision was in ``sharp contrast'' to the Information and Broadcasting Minister, Sushma Swaraj's earlier stance of opposing ``obscene and senseless'' programming on television channels, it said.

Quoting the Prime Minister, Vajpayee's statement that ``vichar jab chhap jata hain to hathiyar ban jata hain (a published thought becomes a weapon)'', the editorial said now the thought process in the country would be controlled by capitalist forces and the weapon would become blunt.— PTI

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