Publication of CPI(M) mouthpiece Daily Desher Katha stopped

A Correspondent

Agartala: Publication of Daily Desher Katha, known as the daily mouthpiece of the opposition CPI(M) has been stopped from today following an order issued by the District Magistrate of West Tripura district Sandip Mahatme last evening.

The order said the declaration made by the paper regarding its ownership was illegal and hence the Registrar of the Newspapers in India has derecognised it. As a result of the order no issue of the paper was published today.

Originally a weekly paper Desher Katha was converted to a Daily in 1979 after the CPI(M) came into power and was publishing as a daily mouthpiece of the party. In 2012 the paper handed over its ownership to a society and recently again the ownership was transferred to a trust. The order passed by the District Magistrate, who is the authorised representative of the RNI in the state, said standing norms were not followed during these transfer of ownership. However, the authority of the newspaper today in a press conference described the order passed by the DM was not only arbitrary but also motivated. A member of the CPI(M) central committee Gautam Das, a former editor of the paper said all the transfer of ownership was done following all norms and regulations. He also said they will approach to the appropriate court challenging the order and seeking justice. CPI(M) politbureau also in a statement condemned the order and alleged that the press is under attack in Tripura.