New Delhi: Veteran journalist and Parliamentarian Kuldip Nayyar today (Nov 7) strongly condemned the 15-day imprisonment order issued by Tamil Nadu Assembly against the editor, executive editor and some others of 'The Hindu' and Tamil daily 'Murasoli' in a breach of privilege issue.

"This is a big attack on the freedom of press and the press should not take it lying down," he said.

Stating that in this case the Speaker should have called the editor and talked to him, Nayyar added at best he should have admonished him.

"I do not know how far such kind of punishment should be used. We are in a democracy where the Constitution protects the right of expression," he said, condemning the steps taken against the editor and others and demanded their immediate release.

Nayyar said he would get in touch with the various bodies of the press against this development.

The Press Association, an organisation of accredited correspondents, strongly criticised Tamil Nadu Assembly's decision to proceed against senior journalists of 'The Hindu' newspaper and described it as "an attempt to muzzle the freedom of the press".

In a statement, the Association said the incident reflected the "growing intolerance" in the society.

"Such a move to gag the press is against the spirit of constitutional protection which the media enjoys in a democratic polity," it said.

PTI