Chennai: 'The Hindu' today (Nov 8) said it would approach courts 'as quickly' as possible, challenging the Tamil Nadu Assembly's decision awarding 15 days simple imprisonment to five of its staffers.

The Editor-in-Chief of the Hindu, N Ram told a gathering of journalists at the Madras Press Club, that the paper had decided to seek legal remedy in the matter as it involved larger issues.

Coming down heavily on the police, he said due to police searches in the Hindu premises 'we could not meet the deadline and the paper was delayed today. I am annoyed over their behaviour'.

He condemned the searches conducted at the residences of Malini Parthasarathy, Executive Editor of the paper and V Jayanth, Chief of Bureau and said these searches had caused mental agony to the relatives of accused. 'We are considering moving to courts on this also', he said.

Cho Ramaswamy, Member of Parliament and Editor of Thugluk, said the state Assembly had no powers to take a decision on the privilege issues, as the privileges of the house was yet to be codified in the country.

The Hindu Editorial, for which the staffers were sentenced to 15 day's simple imprisonment, had only made remarks on the Chief Minister's speeches in the house. The Assembly was not there to protect the interests of the Chief Minister alone, he said.

'If anybody thinks that they could achieve whatever they wanted because of the majority in the house, it is wrong', he said and added that it only showed the height of 'political arrogance'. On the Assembly resolution on the he commented 'Vinasakale viparatha buthy'.

PTI