Dua8217;s dismissal condemned

NEW DELHI, May 29: Editors Guild of India today expressed shock at what it called the arbitrary dismissal of H K Dua as editorial adviser to The Times of India.

quot;The removal of the editor of a premier newspaper by an abrupt and premature termination of his contract without any explanation has grave implications for the freedom of the press which is central to the ethos of any democratic society,quot; Guild president Vinod Mehta said in a statement here. quot;These anxieties are heightened by reports that Dua was removed not for professional reasons but because of his unwillingness to support the owners8217; collateral interests that had little to do with the conduct of the newspaper,quot; Mehta said.