Registration of CPM newspaper cancelled

GUWAHATI/AGARTALA: The Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI) cancelled the registration of the Daily Desher Katha, the CPM’s Bengali mouthpiece in Tripura.

The decision, for which the RNI in a letter to the publisher cited “unauthorised change of ownership” as the reason, has led to angry reactions from the opposition party leaders. A former editor of the paper called it “politically motivated”.

In 2012, the newspaper’s ownership was transferred from the CPM to a society. In 2018, the ownership was again transferred to a trust. CPM leader and former editor of the newspaper, Gautam Das, said: “This move is totally illegal, politically motivated and antidemocratic. This will jeopardise the livelihood of more than 200 workers and employees associated with the newspaper.”


Das, who stepped down as editor in 2015, said the newspaper had filed requisite papers to the RNI through the district magistrate. The RNI issued the registration certificate, but later withdrew it under “mysterious circumstance”, he said, adding: “Some BJP leaders were all out to ensure that this paper does not get registration.”

Das hinted that the newspaper would move court challenging the RNI decision.