Senior scribes discuss freedom of press in India

Prominent journalists gathered here on Thursday to discuss freedom of the press in India in the wake of CBI raids on NDTV's Prannoy Roy and his wife Radhika in a bank fraud case and said many loan defaulters are roaming free.

Senior journalist Jaishankar Gupt questioned the raid that came days after an NDTV anchor's on-air verbal spat with Bharatiya Janata Party Spokesperson Sambit Patra during a debate on a new central notification on cattle trade and slaughter.

The BJP leader was told to leave the programme.

"Many loan defaulters are roaming free, including liquor baron Vijay Mallya. Why there was a hurry in conducting raid in a bank fraud case," Gupt asked at the discussion at the Press Club of India here on "Freedom of press and questions over its credential".

He was backed by other prominent journalists who said the probe agency must do its duty as per law.

The event was organised by Media Manch, which asked the government to form an independent investigating team for conducting probe into allegations against the media and submit its report within a year.

Meanwhile, veteran journalist Ved Pratap Vaidik said there is fear the freedom of press is being restricted but the feeling is wrong and a presumption.

He said that a journalist must report fearlessly and boldly.

Noted journalist Anil Chamaria said certain people are using press as a tool for spreading propaganda which is not good.

--IANS

akk/tsb/dg