The Hindu : Liberhan panel cannot probe attack on media: Centre

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 21, 2003

National

National

Liberhan panel cannot probe attack on media: Centre

By J. Venkatesan

NEW DELHI June 20. The Centre today sprang yet another surprise before the Liberhan Commission when it asserted that the panel could not probe the assault on mediapersons during the demolition of the disputed structure in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992 as it was not part of the terms of reference.

Lala Ram Gupta, senior counsel for the Centre, agreed with the Commission that the statements of 24 journalists who had deposed earlier that presspersons were attacked could be true. He, however, said the Press Council report on the incident was contrary to law.

He told the Commission that the PCI did not have jurisdiction to set up a committee, headed by Justice Sarkaria to probe the attack on the media under the PCI Act. And statements made by journalists whether under oath or otherwise were not admissible evidence for the purpose of the Liberhan Commission.

Hence the findings of the Sarkaria committee that the attack on mediapersons was planned could not be taken note of by the Commission, he said and added that "the assault on media in the present case did not come under the ambit and scope of terms of reference of this Commission."

The Commission could only assume that there was attack on the media and proceed on that basis. Asked whether any restriction was imposed on the media, counsel said that if kar sevaks, individually or jointly, had imposed any restriction on mediapersons on the discharge of their professional duty, it was an unlawful act. The Centre had told the Commission last week that it could not probe the role of the Union Government in the Masjid demolition while dealing with the "sequence of events" as its role was not part of the terms of reference of the probe. Similarly, the Centre while giving the "undisputed facts" had maintained that the "disputed site" at Ayodhya was the birthplace of Lord Ram, even as this issue was part of the title suits pending adjudication before the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National