MADURAI, March 1: The office of the popular Tamil daily Dinamalar was ransacked by a 60-member armed gang in the early hours of the day today.The gangsters stormed into the office after assaulting a security guard and hurling petrol bombs, heavily damaging the electrical fittings and fire extinguishers on the first and second floor, officials of the daily said. One security guard was slashed on his right arm when he tried to resist.Eyewitnesses said that the assailants entered the premises shouting slogans in support of a local DMK leader and said the incident could have been the reaction to a news item that spoke unfavourably of a local DMK leader in the daily.Meanwhile, DMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi spoke to the newspaper officials over phone and promised action against the culprits. He also ordered the police to provide protection to the dailies in the city in view of the incident.The city police commissioner, P L Viswanathan, who visited the spot, said threespecial police teams had been formed to nab the culprits. Viswanathan said that the daily had been provided security around September last year, but was withdrawn at their own request; this version was vehemently contested by the daily. The officials said the security was provided without citing any reason and was withdrawn when sought to know the reason for the protection.Expressing solidarity with the press freedom, three journalist organisations in Chennai have strongly condemned the the incident. The Madras Union of Journalists, Madras Reporters Guild and Chennai Press Club, in a joint statement, said the attack was a blatant infringement of press freedom.Predictably, political parties were quick to react condemning the incident and putting the blame on the administration. Janata Party president Subramaniam Swamy in a letter to the Prime Minister I K Gujral said the incident proved deteriorating law and order situation in Madurai and requested him to take necessary action to nab the culprits.Describingthe attack as "criminal assault on press and democracy", the Marumalarchi-DMK leader V Gopalaswamy said the present attack was an attempt to control the press by using force.The CPM strongly condemned the attack. In a statement issued in Chennai the unit's secretary, N Sankaraiah, urged the Government to take stern action against those responsible for the incident.
