The Hindu : Singhal calls three English papers `traitors'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 06, 2002

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Singhal calls three English papers `traitors'

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD DEC. 5. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader, Ashok Singhal, has described The Hindu, The Times of India and The Indian Express as "traitors, who are doing great disservice to the nation".

Taking objection to this and other insulting remarks made by the VHP treasurer, G. Pulla Reddy, against a reporter of a Telugu daily, journalists staged a walkout from the media conference. Mr. Singhal apologised on behalf of Mr. Reddy, but presspersons did not relent saying he too had used similar language. Arguments followed and the media conference ended abruptly.

In a scathing attack on the three English newspapers, Mr. Singhal said The Hindu was devoting every column to the criticism of the VHP "for what reasons we do not know nor can we spell them out here". "They are traitors to our country. At a time when the country was facing dangers, these newspapers were creating confusion not only within the country but also in the West. Three newspapers, The Hindu, which is the most un-Hindu newspaper, The Times of India and The Indian Express are doing the greatest disservice to the people of the country and the land they are born".

He said the English press was not reporting on what was happening to Hindus in Kashmir, where 35,000 of them had been killed and in Gujarat. There were two attacks on Raghunath temple. No one writes about them. Even electronic media run by the `Western' corporations repeat the same. Powerful writers send articles on such issues, but they are not published. They have become propaganda sheets, he alleged.

Mr. Singhal said the "prejudice" of the English press was not going unnoticed and warned that in the coming days, people would stop reading them. "There is a great uprising among the Hindu youth. There will be a fury. We do not have to organise anything. They are an agitated lot. These newspapers are not realising the pulse of the people."

The VHP leaders were branded "fundamentalist" by these newspapers. "We are not. We are patriots serving the country, protecting Hindu culture and religion. We do not carry AK-47 with us nor do we believe in violence".

He praised the vernacular press, which, he said, presented the true picture, unlike the English press "which keeps lying". When he took up the issue with the proprietor of The Times of India, he told him "his newspaper needs to be run commercially".

Around this time, Mr. Reddy took over from Mr. Singhal, called for the reporter of Telugu daily, Vaartha, and questioned him. "News items relating to Muslims are displayed prominently in the front page, while those pertaining to Hindus, given insignificantly in the inside pages. You should be ashamed of yourselves". The remark touched off protests.

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