Poojary lambasts party colleague Shivakumar for blacking out TV news channels

MANGALURU: Senior Congress leaders B Janardhan Poojary has demanded that CM Siddaramaiah immediately intervene in a move to stop telecast of private Kannada TV news channel and its sister English channel across Karnataka, allegedly at the behest of his minister for power D K Shivakumar. He has also demanded that Shivakumar apologise for this act and not embarrass the state government in general and party leadership in particular.
Addressing reporters here on Tuesday, Poojary said this act of Shivakumar is a slight to freedom of press. Noting that Article 19 of Indian Constitution assures freedom of press, Poojary asked Shivakumar to go through the same. Reminding Shivakumar that he had taken an oath to uphold the Constitution when he became a minister, Poojary said none of the minister’s action should be contrary to this Constitutional oath, as is evident now.
Observing that even Mahatma Gandhi, and former PM Indira Gandhi had expressed regret for their actions in individual and constitutional capacities, Poojary questioned if Shivakumar was above either of these individuals. Poojary also sought to know if someone would seek the minister’s head for apologising for this act, adding that and such actions will only go on to embarrass the state government and the party leadership at the national level.
Asserting that he is a well wisher of Shivakumar, Poojary said such acts of trying to muzzle the media will not only go against an individual but also that of the party. Repercussion of such acts will not only be felt in Karnataka, but echo across the nation, he said, adding that if democracy is alive in the country it is mainly because of the media. “Do you want democracy to be murdered (with this act of yours in blocking the channels),” he queried.