Newspapers in Kashmir not to come out even today

The decision was taken after a two-hour meeting of owners and editors of newspapers who met here to take stock of the situation, especially after Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's advisor Amitabh Mattoo had personally met them on Monday and "apologised".

The announcement came hours after Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said in Delhi that Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had told him there was no ban on publication of newspapers in the Valley.

The meeting, which was called for reviewing the 'press emergency' imposed by the government on printing and distribution of newspapers, asked the state government to own up the raids that were carried out on the printing presses during the intervening night of July 15 and 16 when printed newspapers and plates were seized, and even the printing staff was detained.

Later, Education Minister Naeem Akther had met the editors and asked them not to bring out editions for next three days as movement of newspaper staff and distribution of newspapers was not possible because of strict curfew restrictions across the Kashmir Valley.

"One finds it surprising that the advisor came and apologised for the mistake and later went to town saying that there was no ban on newspaper and that the Chief Minister was not aware that the newspapers did not publish for last three days," Editor of Kashmir Images rpt (Kashmir Images) Bashir Manzar said after the meeting.

While Mattoo was apologising on one end, "the state government resorted to propaganda blitzkrieg insisting that there was no ban."