Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party Chief K Annamalai had criticised allegedly biased journalists while explaining layers of the DMK onion at a book release function in 2022. He accused the first layer of journalists of promoting the Dravidian model and criticised their response to civilised debates. Following his comments on News18 Tamil Editor Karthigaichelvan’s interview of DMK Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin earlier in January 2023, Annamalai refused to apologise for calling the interview ‘toothless.’ Journalists demanded an apology and planned a protest. Subsequently, Annamalai posted a video highlighting the alleged biases of certain journalists, emphasising his stand against biased reporting.
A protest meeting at Valluvar Kottam in Chennai, attended by senior journalists and journalist association office-bearers, strongly condemned the “inappropriate” comments made by TNBJP chief Annamalai against media persons.
N. Ram, Director of The Hindu Group Publishing Private Limited, emphasised that Annamalai’s remarks were not an isolated incident and suggested filing a criminal defamation case against him while advocating for limiting his publicity. Ram highlighted that even prominent BJP leaders like Vajpayee, Advani, and Modi refrained from making such derogatory comments. Ram also said, “.. they say we must starve them of oxygen. I am not saying he (Annamalai) is a terrorist but he is an extremist. He is behaving that way. So we must not give him that oxygen. We are not asking for his removal from the BJP, that is not our business. We condemn your offence, if you do not mend your ways, then we will think about it. He cannot just issue an apology for a formality and continue business as usual.”
Nakkheeran Editor R.R. Gopal announced a media boycott of the BJP leader, accusing him of employing a ‘divide and rule’ strategy.
Other senior journalists and media organisation representatives joined in condemning Annamalai’s “insensitive” remarks, highlighting the need for responsible discourse in political leadership and media relations.
Following this, Malini Parthasarathy, Director at Kasturi & Sons Ltd., former Chairperson of The Hindu Group, and former Editor at The Hindu, expressed her concerns on the issue on her X handle. She wrote that as a significant stakeholder in The Hindu, she felt compelled to address what she perceived as biased and prejudiced news reports on their pages. Malini criticised the journalists in Chennai for attacking the TN BJP chief, especially the call to blackout coverage, deeming it unacceptable for any reputable news organisation. She emphasised that it would be a violation of the right to freedom of expression if The Hindu complies with the boycott call. Malini pointed out the absence of condemnation by the same journalists for the Madurai police booking the editor and publisher of Dinamalar over their report on the prohibition of various celebrations across Tamil Nadu for Ram Mandir Pran Prathishta. She clarified that her comments were not a defence of freedom of expression as claimed by those who consider themselves guardians of a free press.
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Fmr Editor Of The Hindu, Malini Parthasarathy, Condemns The Publication For Their Stand On Annamalai
Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party Chief K Annamalai had criticised allegedly biased journalists while explaining layers of the DMK onion at a book release function in 2022. He accused the first layer of journalists of promoting the Dravidian model and criticised their response to civilised debates. Following his comments on News18 Tamil Editor Karthigaichelvan’s interview of DMK Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin earlier in January 2023, Annamalai refused to apologise for calling the interview ‘toothless.’ Journalists demanded an apology and planned a protest. Subsequently, Annamalai posted a video highlighting the alleged biases of certain journalists, emphasising his stand against biased reporting.
A protest meeting at Valluvar Kottam in Chennai, attended by senior journalists and journalist association office-bearers, strongly condemned the “inappropriate” comments made by TNBJP chief Annamalai against media persons.
N. Ram, Director of The Hindu Group Publishing Private Limited, emphasised that Annamalai’s remarks were not an isolated incident and suggested filing a criminal defamation case against him while advocating for limiting his publicity. Ram highlighted that even prominent BJP leaders like Vajpayee, Advani, and Modi refrained from making such derogatory comments. Ram also said, “.. they say we must starve them of oxygen. I am not saying he (Annamalai) is a terrorist but he is an extremist. He is behaving that way. So we must not give him that oxygen. We are not asking for his removal from the BJP, that is not our business. We condemn your offence, if you do not mend your ways, then we will think about it. He cannot just issue an apology for a formality and continue business as usual.”
Nakkheeran Editor R.R. Gopal announced a media boycott of the BJP leader, accusing him of employing a ‘divide and rule’ strategy.
Other senior journalists and media organisation representatives joined in condemning Annamalai’s “insensitive” remarks, highlighting the need for responsible discourse in political leadership and media relations.
Following this, Malini Parthasarathy, Director at Kasturi & Sons Ltd., former Chairperson of The Hindu Group, and former Editor at The Hindu, expressed her concerns on the issue on her X handle. She wrote that as a significant stakeholder in The Hindu, she felt compelled to address what she perceived as biased and prejudiced news reports on their pages. Malini criticised the journalists in Chennai for attacking the TN BJP chief, especially the call to blackout coverage, deeming it unacceptable for any reputable news organisation. She emphasised that it would be a violation of the right to freedom of expression if The Hindu complies with the boycott call. Malini pointed out the absence of condemnation by the same journalists for the Madurai police booking the editor and publisher of Dinamalar over their report on the prohibition of various celebrations across Tamil Nadu for Ram Mandir Pran Prathishta. She clarified that her comments were not a defence of freedom of expression as claimed by those who consider themselves guardians of a free press.
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