SP comes out against UNI's sale to a media grp

New Delhi, Sep 25: The Samajwadi Party today threw its weight behind the UNI employees agitating against the proposed sale of the news agency to the Zee group, while the CPI(M) said the agency should be allowed to be run by the employees instead of being handed over to a business house.

Addressing the agitating UNI employees on the lawns of the agency's headquarters here, Mr M K Pandhe, CPI(M) Politburo member, and Mr Mohan Singh, Chief Whip of SP in the Lok Sabha, said their parties would put pressure on the UPA government to stall the UNI management's move to sell 60 per cent of the agency's stake to Mr Subhash Chandra of Zee group.

Mr Pandhe, who is also General Secretary of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), said UNI could be run by its employees on the lines of India Coffee Board which was handed over to its workers.

CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat had already written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and also had, along with senior Left party colleagues, a meeting with Dr Singh, seeking government's intervention. Dr Singh assured them that the government was already seized of the matter, Mr Pandhe said.

Mr Pandhe said the government could give a one-time assistance to UNI to tide over the difficult phase after which the employees should be asked to take over the management.

Recalling his close association with UNI for three decades, Mr Mohan Singh said UNI had always stood for truth, including during the emergency days, and handing it over to a media group now would amount to launching an assault on press freedom and democracy. The agency should no be allowed to meet the fate of Hindustan Samachar which was sold to a builder who closed it down after misusing it for amassing wealth.

The proposed buyer of UNI had set his eyes on the agency's prime properties across the country, rather than showing interest in running the agency, he said.

UNI

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