Coming out in support of protesting journalists, Ramdas Athavale has also asked the state government to pay Rs 25 lakh as compensation to the slain reporter's family
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REPUBLICAN Party of India (RPI) president Ramdas Athavale has come out in support of the journalists' demand of a CBI inquiry into the murder of MiD DAY's Editor (Investigation) J Dey.

He has also demanded that the state government provide a compensation of Rs 25 lakh to Dey's family.



Addressing a press conference yesterday, Athavale said that he would support the bill on making attacks on journalists a cognisable and non-bailable offence.

When it was pointed out to him that the Shiv Sena, with which the RPI has formed an alliance, had opposed the bill, Athavale said that it was for the state government to get the bill passed and that it should go ahead and do it.

Athavale said he would talk to the leaders of the Shiv Sena on the issue if need be and termed Dey's killing a 'murder of democracy'. He said that the compensation should be given from the Chief Minister's fund.

NCP too
Following an assurance from the Congress party unit on Monday, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said yesterday that it, too, would support the move to enact the bill.

Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has promised to place the bill before the cabinet on Wednesday. If it is approved, it may be introduced in the state legislature's Monsoon Session next month.