I will stand up to protect freedom of press: Karunanidhi

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, JUNE 28. The DMK president and former Chief Minister, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, today asserted that he would ``always stand up to protect freedom of press'', whether his party was in power or not.

Condemning the arrest of the `Sun TV' reporter last night, who was among the mediapersons accompanying the former DMK Minister, Mr. K. Ponmudi when he visited the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation godown at Villupuram on Tuesday, Mr. Karunanidhi told reporters here that this incident was a setback to the free functioning of media.

Reiterating that Mr. Ponmudi, as an MLA representing Villupuram, had a right to inspect the quality of rice in the godown in the wake of the Government's allegation of `rotten rice' being procured by the DMK regime, Mr. Karunanidhi said it was also customary for media to cover such developments.

He said the private channel's Villupuram correspondent, Mr. Suresh, was asked to wait in the local police station last night ``until instructions were got from the powers- that-be to lodge him in the Cuddalore prison''.

The State BJP president, Dr. Kirubanidhi, the MGR-ADMK general secretary, Mr. S. Thirunavukkarasu and the TMC-Democratic Forum president, Mr. P. Chidambaram, condemned the arrest of the television journalist.

Distinguished journalists including Mr. N. Ram, Editor, `Frontline', Mr. Cho S. Ramaswamy, Editor, `Thuglak', and Mr.K.Rajendran, Publisher, `Kalki', in a joint statement, condemned the arrest and urged the State Government to release him immediately.

Representatives of journalist bodies including the Chennai Press Club, the Madras Union of Journalists and the Tamil Nadu Union of Journalists, demanded his release.

Condemning the `assault on journalists' near the Secretariat here when they tried to represent to the Chief Minister, Ms. Jayalalithaa, on the arrest of Mr. Suresh, the Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry units of the People's Union For Civil Liberties (PUCL) said it was concerned over both these incidents as they posed a `threat' to free media.

Remanded to custody

Our Cuddalore Staff Reporter Writes: Meanwhile, Mr. Suresh was produced before the Magistrate Ms. Vijayalakshmi and remanded him to 14 days' judicial custody. The television journalist was lodged in the Central Prison here last night.

Partymen court arrest

Former and present DMK MLAs, office- bearers of co-operative bodies, councillors and party volunteers courted arrest in Cuddalore and Villupuram districts today, when they took out a procession, protesting the ``foisting of case on the former Minister, Mr. K. Ponmudi'' on the charge of trespassing into the TNCSC godown in Villupuram on Tuesday.

In all, over 250 persons were taken into custody in Cuddalore. In Villupuram district, 161 persons courted arrest at four centres.

According to Mr. Pon. Jayaganapathy, president of the Cuddalore District Cooperative Press, an agitation would be launched in Virudachalam tomorrow by the DMK Cuddalore (south) district wing.

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