New Delhi, Nov 08: Coming down heavily on Tamil Nadu government for the "frontal assault" on the freedom of the press, Congress today accused it of "converting" the state assembly into a "truncheon of autocracy." Condemning Tamil Nadu Assembly's order to arrest six journalists, Congress spokesman S Jaipal Reddy told reporters here "privileges of legislature are meant to be used as a shield and not as a sword. Jayalalitha government has been on the rampage in Tamil Nadu."
Asked as to how the Jayalalitha government was responsible for it as the order has been issued by the state assembly, he said "everybody knows Jayalalitha is the author. The motion in the state assembly was steam-rolled in the face of stiff resistance from the opposition benches."
"It (Jayalalitha government) has been suppressing civil liberties of politicians, pressmen, government employees and trade unions in a fascist fashion," Reddy said, adding "it has viciously targeted The Hindu, an internationally acclaimed newspaper."
As a result, The Hindu is today facing 16 criminal defamation cases and one civil defamation case, he said.
Now, the government in Tamil Nadu "is hell-bent on arresting and imprisoning the top management figures of The Hindu during the weekend when it would be difficult to reach courts for relief, Reddy said.
Bureau Report