Bangalore: "Karavali Ale", a Kannada daily from coastal Karnataka, has complained to Press Council of India that Bajrang Dal activists aided by a "fake" religious figure and land mafia have been disrupting circulation network of the newspaper in the districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi.
Editor-in-Chief B V Seetaram alleged in the letter that mafia gangs have been going around the places in both the districts in the last couple of weeks ransacking vendors shops and burning the bundles of the newspaper, besides stealing the copies from public transport buses meant for supply to agents.
He prayed to the Council to give immediate direction to the Karnataka Government to stop "persecution" of "Karavali Ale" for exercising constitutionally guaranteed press freedom without fear and favour.
Seetharam sought direction to the State Government to appoint a special enquiry authority of the status of Secretary of the Law Department with an instruction for an immediate report on the issues concerning the daily in particular and press freedom in coastal Karnataka in general.
