Thaindian News

New Delhi, June 10 (IANS) The Congress has ticked off Anil Shastri, editor of its “Congress Sandesh” mouthpiece, for an editorial which implicitly criticised four union ministers for going to the airport to talk to Baba Ramdev, and asked him to refrain from personal opinions in the editorials.

“Whatever appears in party mouthpiece is considered the opinion of the party. Hence the editor of ‘Congress Sandesh’ has been told that in future he should not write his own opinion in the editorial,” Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi told reporters here Friday.

The editorial in the May-June issue of “Congress Sandesh” wondered if it was necessary for four ministers, including Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, to go to the airport to meet Ramdev in a bid to persuade him to call of his fast against corruption.

“The government has a duty to respond to the demands of the civil society, but it must be done in a way that does not compromise the dignity and rightful authority of an elected government. Was it necessary for four senior ministers to go to the airport,” the editorial had asked.

The party’s official reaction came even as Congress leader Digvijay Singh has gone on record to disapprove Mukherjee’s going to the airport. Singh has said Mukherjee was a senior person and his going to airport to meet Ramdev was uncalled for.

Apart from Mukherjee, union ministers Kapil Sibal, Pawan Kumar Bansal and Subodh Kant Sahay had gone to meet to Ramdev in Delhi ahead of his hunger strike against corruption.

Party leaders had earlier indicated that the party was not consulted before the visit of the four ministers to the airport.