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Journalism of Courage
The Election Commission has refused permission for a three-day Air India trip to London for journalists organised to coincide with the inauguration of the airline8217;s direct Ahmedabad-London flight later this week.
Confirming this, Public Relations Officer attached to the Gujarat Chief Minister8217;s Office, Jagadish Thakkar said A-I authorities have informed Chief Secretary P.K. Laheri that since the EC has refused permission for the trip, A-I has postponed it.
8216;8216;The London tour, as of now, stands postponed, but we don8217;t know if it will take off after the Lok Sabha elections are over. We have informed all 21 newspersons who had been invited for the tour,8217;8217; Thakkar said. The government had even managed passports and visas for some of the journalists.
The EC had sought a clarification by Friday evening from the Civil Aviation Ministry on A-I8217;s alleged issuance of free air tickets to London for political functionaries in violation of the code of conduct.
Last week, the CMO had written to 21 journalists, inviting them on behalf of Air India for the three-day junket which was to begin on March 28 and which included a two-night halt in a posh hotel and sight-seeing in London.
The CM8217;s secretary A.K. Sharma had confirmed that he had despatched a letter to each of the 21 journalists inviting them for the London visit. He had said the trip was being organised by Air India and that 8216;8216;the state government is acting only as a facilitator and co-ordinator for A-I8217;8217;.
