CPM attempting to gag press: Pillai

KOZHIKODE: 'Badly isolated' after the brutal murder of RMP leader T P Chandrasekharan the CPI (M) was attempting to gag the media in the state, senior BJP leader P Sreedharan Pillai said. Talking to newspersons here, the BJP National Executive Member and Former State unit chief said this was evident from the report carried by CPI (M) organ 'Deshabhimani' yesterday listing names of scribes, with mobile phone numbers, who contacted a police officer to gather news in connection with the probe relating to the May 4 murder.


He said in a democracy, media has a responsibility, as part of investigative journalism, to contact police officers to gather or verify news to inform people. Flaying the party for filing a contempt of court case in Kerala High Court against a section of the media for reporting on the probe, he said it was paradoxical on the part of the CPI (M), which sought repealing the act.