Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Assembly ordering 15 days of simple imprisonment to five senior staff members including the Editor of 'The Hindu', and the Editor of Tamil daily, 'Murasoli', in a breach of privilege issue, has evoked bitter criticism from various quarters today (Nov 8).

Various journalists' bodies in the city have given a call to observe protest fast in Chennai tomorrow (Nov 9) morning condemning the Assembly's decision. The call was given by four journalists' bodies, including Madras Union of Journalists and Press club.

Rajya Sabha MP and veteran journalist Cho Ramaswmay, N Ram, Editor-in-Chief of 'The Hindu' and T N Gopalan, Chief of Bureau, 'The New Indian Express' were among those who addressed the gathering.

The working President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee, E V K S Elangovan, condemned the incident and urged the Central government to 'dismiss' the state Government. 'By such actions, the Government had buried democracy in the state'. The Congress would join the proposed 'human chain' protest slated for November 12 in the state, he said.

Condemning the Assembly's decision, the Janata Party President, Dr Subramanian Swamy, said anything objectionable written in the media could always, in a democracy, be rebutted by a statement by the aggrieved party. Democratically minded persons must take a pledge to purge the body politic of the slave culture of the Dravidian movement, he said.

In Nagapattinam, Communist Party of India (CPI) State unit secretary, R Nallakannu, said, in a democratic set up, no Government had taken such harsh steps against newspaper organisations.

PTI