Madhyamam demands action against KT Jaleel; Chief Minister promises to look into the matter
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Thiruvananthapuram: Madhyamam has approached Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan requesting action against former minister KT Jaleel, who filed a complaint against the publication for exposing the plight of NRI workers during the pandemic. KT Jaleel approached a foreign government demanding action against the newspaper.
A delegation led by chief editor O Abdurahman met with the chief minister at the capital. Madhyamam expressed disappointment and protest over KT Jaleel's actions which hurt the freedom of media, the democratic system, and the sovereignty of India.
In response to the representation and the letter submitted to him, CM Pinarayi Vijayan clarified that he was unaware of Jaleel's letter to foreign governments. He also promised to discuss the matter with Jaleel and take appropriate action.
The letter by Madhyamam noted that the publication is standing as a responsible and corrective force in issues affecting the country and its people with the goal of strengthening India and its democracy. It further noted that Madhyamam strongly supported expatriates when they expressed their desire to come home during the Covid crisis. It also did not hesitate to showcase the struggle and suffering of the people when their return journey was getting delayed.
When the hope of returning to their homeland with a comparatively better condition amid the intensifying Covid-19 was crippled, Madhyamam expressed the concern of the expatriate Malayalees in a different way on June 24, 2020 whereby the publication was looking out for their well-being and safety.
The letter handed by Madhyamam noted that Kerala cabinet member KT Jaleel's response to that news - writing to foreign authorities demanding action against a media organisation - is unheard of. "Sending letters to foreign authorities without the permission of the Union Ministry of External Affairs is a breach of protocol and unconstitutional."
Madhyamam chief editor further said that it is even more serious for a minister to deal with such a matter privately as a personal one. "It has serious ethical issues of concern. Our faith is that such deviant behaviour cannot be accepted by the LDF government."
Ideal publications Trust Secretary T.K. Farooq, CEO P.M. Salih, Joint Editor P.I. Naushad, Thiruvananthapuram, Regional Manager B. Jayaprakash, and Thiruvananthapuram Bureau Chief E. Basheer were part of the delegation.