Do not strangulate democracy: DMK president M Karunanidhi

CHENNAI: DMK president M Karunanidhi has issued a strong statement in support of Kalanidhi Maran owned Sun group and demanded the centre to reconsider its stand on non-issuance of security clearance for the group’s FM radio stations.

In the statement issued from DMK headquarters in Chennai, Karunanidhi has said that the centre’s stand of not issuing security clearance for the Sun group is based on charges that are not proven and with no proper explanation on how it could create a security threat to the nation.

Under such circumstances, the non-issuance of clearances to media houses like that of Sun group amounts to the act of “strangulating democracy’’ Karunanidhi said. He demanded that the union government should immediately reconsider its stand on the issue and protect freedom of expression as provided by the constitution.

It is condemnable that the five applications filed by the sun group had been rejected in a tendering process in which other private broadcast service providers had participated and the Information and Broadcast ministry had provided licenses for 135 FM radio stations across the country, the statement said.

The Sun group was denied permission to participate in the tendering process because the Ministry of Home Affairs had not provided the security certificate, the statement said. He pointed out that the central government has already been advised that denial of security clearance to Sun group could amount to violation of the fundamental rights provided in Article 14 and 19 under the constitution.

Talking about the various broadcast associations that have written to the Prime Minister Modi on decision against Sun group, Karunanidhi also mentioned the political leaders including EVKS Elangovan of the Congress and MDMK leader Vaiko had condemned this move by the union government.