Cong, Left to take up UNI issue with govt, in Parliament

New Delhi, Sep 15 (UNI) The Congress and the Left parties today said they would take up with the government the proposed sale of United News of India (UNI) shares to a media group and ask it to protect the news agency's independent character.

Their contention was supported by the Janata Dal (U) and the Janata Dal (S).

Addressing UNI employees at the office headquarters at 9 Rafi Marg here, AICC Spokesman Abishek Singhvi said Congress was not against fresh investment in UNI in a transparent manner, and with all the restrictions of Section 25 of the Companies Act, under which the news agency was set up.

But no single media group should be allowed to take control of UNI which was set up in 1961 at the instance of then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to end monopoly of dissemination of news by a single agency, Mr Singhvi said.

''A single media house having controlling interest in UNI will be construed as an assault on the freedom of the press,'' he said.

UNI employees have launched an agitation under the umbrella of a Joint Action Committee following reports that Mr Subhash Chandra of Zee group was close to acquiring majority stake in the news agency through his investment company, Media West.

The intentions of the proposed buyer should be ''carefully viewed'' and even the ''slightest conflict of interest'' that might come in the way of the agency's impartial presentation of news should be addressed beforehand, he said.

The conditions of UNI's shares should be stated in the constitution of the agency to prevent the dilution of its autonomy directly or indirectly, the Congress spokesman said.

CPI National Secretary D Raja ''strongly condemned the dishonest effort'' to change the character of the agency which was disseminating ''unbiased'' news within the country and abroad.

''We will raise the issue with the UPA government and also in Parliament'' as it involved the freedom of the press, democracy and civilised polity, he said and regretted the growing trend of corporate houses acquiring the ownership of media business, both in electronic and print.

Mr Raja said CPI Lok Sabha leader Gurudas Dasgupta had already written to Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, seeking the government's immediate intervention to maintain free and fair flow of news and protect the interest of UNI employees.

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