Ghazanfar Abbas, IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, June 9: Towering personalities of Indian media on Friday converged at the Mecca of press in the National Capital, that is the Press Club of India, and in unequivocal terms, condemned the raids by the country’s federal investigation agency CBI at one of the most respected NDTV media house here on Monday.
The veteran journalists gathered at the event included Kuldeep Nayer, Prannoy Roy, Arun Shourie, HK Dua, Shekhar Gupta, Raj Chengappa, Ravish Kumar, country’s leading jurist Fali S Nariman and around hundred other eminent journalists.
L-R: Arun Shourie, Fali S Nariman, Prannoy Roy
The CBI had carried raids in an alleged bank loan default case, which both NDTV owners and the bank in case ICICI said was settled eight years ago.
Speaking at the gathering, senior journalist HK Dua said: This is another emergency time…similar signs now, nationalistic. Unless we get aware of the danger, we will meet same fate.
“Rather than bringing Vijay Mallya and Lalit Modi, you are harassing one of the most reputed journalists. It is a wake-up call…beware of more attacks…” he said.
Fali S Nariman said: I am present here more significantly as I believe integrity of Prannoy. The manner of raid and reasons given by CBI for filing FIR are objectionable. Such raids are over freedom of press.
Journalists at event in protest against CBI raid at NDTV
Kuldip Nayer said: We cannot allow murder of the press, it is our commitment. Press is the foundation of democracy and secular ethics. It is about idea of India. This country must be democratic and secular.
Editor’s Guild of India president Raj Chengappa said: We are deeply concerned at what happened. Such raids are serious threat to media and condemnable. We hope the govt would take note of it.
Arun Shourie, former Editor of The Indian Express, “thanked” Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing so many media friends together.
He started his speech with a couplet: Tujh Se Pahle Jo Yahan Takht Nasheen Tha / Usko Bhi Apne Khudha Hone Ka Utna Hi Yaqin Tha (One who was occupying this thrown before you, also had firm belief that he was god).
“Govt is converting media into its mouthpiece. Second, it wants to threaten media as well. And they have made NDTV an example. The nature of this (Modi) regime is totalitarian and it wants to dominate everywhere,” said Shourie.
He warned that any hand raised against media either had to be withdrawn or was burnt.
Om Thanvi said: If media don’t unite and make a movement, it will happen to all. One by one they have targeted all institutions. Now they are targeting media.
At the end NDTV co-founder Prannoy Roy said: This is not about NDTV but a signal for all of us. They want to say that we can suppress you even if you are not wrong. Remember this signal is for entire media. We must resist it. Our protest is not against CBI. It is against those politicians who are using these institutions for ruining and destroying our country.
“My wife and I and NDTV have never touched a single rupee of black money, nor have bribed a single person in our life,” said Roy in emotional tone.
Many journalists who were not in Delhi sent their support messages, and which were red out there. They included India Today’s editor Arun Poori and Rajdeep Sardesai.
