Justice Sawant8217;s plea will be quot;counter productivequot;: Mathew

Mathew, who was referring to Justice Sawant8217;s recent comments about the Council being quot;helpless8221; when newspapers disobeyed its directives and the INS8217; stand on newspaper ownership, appealed to him not to take a 8220;confrontational approach with professional bodies like the INS.8221;

He said the INS was not against cooperatives of journalists owning newspapers and has never issued any such statement, but has 8220;only taken objection to the Chairman, PressCouncil, seeking a change in the present ownership patterns and attacking the role of newspapers belonging to the private sector.8221;

Describing as quot;completely inaccurate and misleading8221;, Justice Sawant8217;s reported statement that INS was 8220;denigrating its own members belonging to the cooperative sector8221;, Mathew said, 8220;We have no quarrel with newspapers being run by cooperatives, alongside newspapers belonging to the private sector.8221;

He said that 8220;it was an ideological bias8221; not to recognise that the press, largely owned by the private sector, 8220;has played a positive role in preserving democracy and the freedom of press8221;.

Appealing to Justice Sawant not to raise controversial issues but work in harmony with INS, Mathew said he should address 8220;more burning issues that dwell on matters like change of ownership.8221;

He said the contract system of employment of journalists was governed by relevant laws and the Council did not have powers to go into it.