No raids on NDTV, channel’s promoters have to stand scrutiny: Venkaiah Naidu

There were no raids on NDTV with the CBI not entering any office of the channel, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said on Wednesday while dismissing allegations that the searches were an infringement on press freedom.

The Central Bureau of Investigation’s raids on the properties of NDTV founder Prannoy Roy on June 5 on allegations of bank fraud had drawn criticism from several political parties as well journalist groups such as the Editors’ Guild of India, Press Club of India and All India Newspaper Editors’ Conference.

“There is no raid on NDTV. The CBI has not entered the premises of the newsroom or TV studio or any other related offices of the media channel. The management and promoters have to stand scrutiny and answer to the people instead of blocking it and then making allegations,” Naidu said on the sidelines of a function here.

Rubbishing claims of a vendetta against the channel, Naidu said the promoters of NDTV, Prannoy and Radhika Roy, should submit to due process of the law as there were questions on their operations that needed disclosures.

“Those disclosures will be enquired into,” the minister said, indicating that the troubles for the channel are unlikely to end soon.

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