Medha calls for preservation of UNI's neutral character

New Delhi, Nov 14 (UNI) Social activist Medha Patkar today appealed to all democratic forces to come together to save the neutral character of UNI and asked the UPA government not to delay action in this regard.

Extending full support to agitating UNI employees against the sale of majority stake in UNI to a private media house, Ms Patkar said the move was part of design of the "land mafia to grab tribal and farmers land for Sprecial Economic Zones (SEZs) and industries".

Addressing UNI employees, Ms Patkar decried the attempt to victimise employees by way of transfer and suspension. She said it was the democratic right of employees to carry out a peaceful agitation for the cause of press freedom and maintaining of democratic structure of the country.

Ms Patkar also took a dig at the ruling Congress leaders saying that the news agency was started by Jawahar Lal Nehru and his inheritors were doing little to prevent the takeover.

"Saving UNI is akin to saving democracy and freedom of expression because any change in its cooperative structure, existing for 45 years, would amount to muzzling the voice of weak and deprived people," she said.

She said she would take up this issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Information and Broadcasting Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to restore status quo ante in the case of UNI.

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