CPI slams one-day ban on Hindi news channel

CPI today slammed the central government over the one-day ban on a Hindi news channel, terming it as an "attack on the freedom of media" which, the party claimed, amounted to "strangulating" its voice.
"It is an attack on freedom of the media and government should not resort to such repressive force and strangulate the voice of media," CPI National Secretary D Raja told PTI.
The unprecedented decision of an inter-ministerial panel to take NDTV India off air for a day over its reporting of the Pathankot attack has already come under severe criticism from media bodies and opposition parties such as Congress and AAP.

"It (the decision) means government wants the media to toe its line. Good sense should prevail and government should give up," he said.
On growing tensions on the Indo-Pak border, he urged both countries to adopt a "sober approach" to de-escalate tensions, saying they cannot afford a military conflict.
Asking how long can the tensions continue between the two countries, Raja said both India and Pakistan should conduct themselves in "a mature, sober way".

"Both countries should conduct themselves in a mature way, sober way to de-escalate (tensions) and not to allow the situation to continue like this," he said.

Raja said the actions of the two countries in summoning each other's diplomats to express "their disapproval or some kind of protest," was not correct.
"At the government level there should be some sober approach, keeping in view the future of the two countries because both cannot afford to have such military conflict or go for a kind of a war. This they should understand," he said.
Raja, a Rajya Sabha MP, slammed the Narendra Modi
government on various fronts, including the economy and agriculture, besides handling of the Kashmir issue.
He claimed that Modi had not implemented the promises, including that of job creation, made during the 2014 Lok Sabha poll campaign even as the "economy is in shambles".

India was now ranked below even some of its neighbours and certain African countries on various social indices, including health and hunger and many of Modi's schemes including Make In India "remain a rhetoric," he said.
"The Acche Din (good days) are for corporate houses and they are taking advantage as Modi has stopped talking about black money and NPAs (Non-Performing Assets). Who are all the defaulters? They are all the corporate houses," he alleged.
Even the Supreme Court had asked why their names were not revealed, while "we have been asking in Parliament" to reveal the names, but the government was not doing so, Raja said.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's voluntary disclosure of black money scheme was a "bonanza" to corporate houses, he added.
Raja also slammed the RSS, saying the saffron unit, besides other Sangh outfits, have "become so aggressive" and charged them with trying to "control the state apparatus."
Even universities have become the "hotbed of tension", he said.