Karat to write to PM to block sale of UNI to Zee

New Delhi, Sep 20 (UNI) The CPI(M) today sought the government's immediate intervention to stall the proposed sale of UNI to a media house, stating that UNI was not a mere news agency but an institution which has been a training ground for eminent journalists in their formative years.

''We hope that the government will not be able to ignore our plea in this regard,'' CPI(M) Politbureau member Sitaram Yechuri said here today.

CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat will write to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh tomorrow seeking the intervention of the government for preventing the sale of UNI to the Essel Group, owned by Zee Telefilms Chairman Subhash Chandra.

Mr Yechuri said his party would also seek a financial package to put UNI on a sound footing and tide over the present crisis.

''It can be done by the government itself directly,'' he said while addressing UNI employees on the lawns of the agency's headquarters here.

Strongly supporting the ongoing agitation spearheded by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of UNI employees, Mr Yechuri said no media group should be allowed to buy UNI, affecting its independence and autonomous character.

A vast, pluralistic country like India should have at least two independent news agencies to avoid monopoly. This was also necessary in the interest of democracy and the general public, he said.

Decrying the general trend of deliberately rendering viable ventures into loss making units to enable their sale, he said his party would put pressure on the government to foil a similar attempt in the case of UNI.

Even the media groups which had a good track record and unquestionable credentials ''have no right to buy out UNI which is an institution,'' he said.

Mr Yechuri said his party would also raise the UNI issue in a big way at the UPA-Left Coordination Committee meeting which, likely to take place on September 28.

Blocking the proposed deal was ''not only for the sake of UNI but for the sake of the entire nation,'' he said.

UNI SN AT HT1515