Press Release

PR/4/06-07-PCI                                                    20.07.2006          

 

Press Council censures Alsafa, Ananda Bazar Patrika, MID-DAY, Punjab Kesari and the Times of India for violation of norms of journalistic conduct.

 

          The Press Council of India, which met in New Delhi on July 12, 2006 under the Chairmanship of Hon’ble Mr. Justice G.N. Ray, Chairman, Press Council of India has censured Alsafa of Srinagar, Ananda Bazar Patrika of Kolkata, MID-DAY of Mumbai, Punjab Kesari of Delhi in two cases and the Times of India, Delhi and Pune editions in two different complaints for breaching the norms of journalistic conduct.

 

          The Press Council adjudicated upon 43 cases of complaints against the press and 9 cases of complaints by the press against the authorities. Apart form censuring five newspapers the Council admonished one newspaper and reprimanded another five for violation of the norms of Journalistic Conduct. 

 

          Anand Bazar Patrika, Kolkata, has been censured alongwith its editor and Ms Sharmila Bose, the author of the news article captioned ‘Ram Ramani Katha’  held to be derogatory to the Hindu God Shri Ram. The Council expressed its deep anguish over the lack of sensitivity displayed by the newspaper in carrying the impugned news material that depicted Shri Ram in adverse light and hurt the religious sentiments of the people. The Council also observed that every freedom has to be subject to some reasonable limits, so must artistic and literary freedom, in larger public interest and  peace and harmony.

 

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