Date:10/05/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/05/10/stories/2007051016321400.htm

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INS condemns attack

New Delhi: The Indian Newspaper Society on Wednesday expressed "shock and horror" at the attack on the office of Tamil daily Dinakaran, and urged the Government to take urgent steps to bring the culprits to book.

It shot off letters to the Prime Minister and the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister asking them to view the incident with the "utmost seriousness," so that "miscreants and criminal elements" do not feel they can force the Press into submission.

"If criminal elements and miscreants are allowed to get away with such violence and threats and if coercive methods are used against newspapers for what they publish, then the freedom of the Press is under serious threat," the INS said in the letter.

It felt that "if newspapers and other media are unable to publish news and views without fear or favour, then the very foundation of the democratic polity will get damaged."

"The Government must view these developments with utmost seriousness and take urgent steps to bring the culprits to book" to ensure that "criminal elements do not feel that they can force the Press into submission without fear of the long arm of the law," it added.

PTI