CPI demands probe into ''takeover'' of UNI

New Delhi, Sep 27 (UNI) The Communist Party of India (CPI) today deplored the decision of the United News of India (UNI) Board of Directors to meet ignoring the government's request for postponing the meeting to approve the ''takeover'' of the news agency by a media group.

CPI Central Secretariat said the Board went ahead with the meeting only to push through the deal and hurriedly co-opt Zee Group chairman Subhash Chandra and three of his associates as Board directors.

Urging the government to investigate the deal and restore the original status of the news agency, the party said in a statement that UNI's neutrality would be lost forever because of the takeover by a business house.

''We reiterate our opposition to the corporatisation and commercialization of UNI, which will have a negative impact on the democratic traditions of the country,'' the Central Secretariat said.

Expressing its concern, the party said multinational corporate houses have slowly started swallowing the India media, particularly news agencies and newspapers, jeopardising the freedom of the press, democracy and security of the country.

Eminent journalist Kuldip Nayyar, a former UNI Chief Editor, said the deal would change the impartial character of the news agency and should be stopped at any cost.

The news agency, which began as a cooperative of newspapers, was meant to give competition to Press Trust of India, he said and called for retaining the basic structure of the organisation.

The Joint Action Committee of UNI Employees decided to intensify protests against the deal.

The Delhi Union of Journalists will hold an emergency meeting of its executive committee to decide on the course of action following the UNI Board's decision to co-opt Mr Chandra as a Director.

CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan and CPI (M) General Secretary Prakash Karat had last week written separate letters to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking his intervention to abort the takeover and finding an ''acceptable solution'' to the situation.

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