PM to take up UNI takeover bid with Dasmunsi

New Delhi, Sep 22 (UNI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today conveyed his concern over the proposed takeover of the United News of India (UNI) by a media house to top Left leaders and assured them that he would take up the issue with Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunsi.

''The Prime Minister himself raised the issue during a luncheon meeting with the Left leaders,'' Communist Party of India (CPI) General Secretary A B Bardhan and CPI (M) polit bureau member Sitaram Yechury said.

The government was seized of the matter, Dr Singh told the Left leaders at the meeting at his 7 Race Course Road residence. The meeting was attended by CPI (M) General Secretary Prakash Karat and CPI National Secretary D Raja, besides Mr Bardhan and Mr Yechury.

The Left leaders, who have separately written letters to the Prime Minister expressing serious concern over the reported sale of majority stake of the news agency to the Essel Group,' impressed upon him to intervene without delay to save the independent character of the national news agency.

According to the Left leaders, Dr Singh was particularly concerned over the takeover as the news agency is a major source of news for small and medium newspapers in several regional languages and Urdu.

Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had also sent a letter to Dr Singh seeking his personal intervention to abort the sale.

The Left leaders made a strong plea to Dr Singh that the proposed deal should be thwarted as the news agency enjoyed the status of a neutral and independent media organisation.

''The character of the organisation has to be maintained at all costs. The government must come out with liberal assistance to the agency to give financial stability,'' said Mr Bardhan.

Mr Yechury said the Left leaders apprised the Prime Minister of the 45 years of history of the agency and the objective of ending monopoly in news dissemination through news agencies.

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