[Letter from Mr Minoo Masani]

Summary

In this letter dated December 2, 1960, Minoo Masani writes from New Delhi to D. R. Mankekar, editor of the Indian Express, about inaccurate descriptions of Swatantra Party parliamentarians in the newspaper’s reports. Masani notes that Professor Ranga was described as an Independent in a report on the Companies Bill, while Masani himself was similarly described in coverage of the Preventive Detention Act.

Masani explains that, when the Swatantra Party parliamentary group was established earlier in 1960, the party had sent newspapers the relevant information and the names of its members. He asks Mankekar to instruct the paper’s parliamentary correspondent to identify members of the group as belonging to the Swatantra Party in future parliamentary reporting.

Key points

• Masani protests newspaper reports that misidentified Swatantra Party parliamentarians as Independents.
• He cites coverage of the Companies Bill and the Preventive Detention Act as examples.
• The Swatantra Party parliamentary group was established at the beginning of 1960.
• Masani says the party supplied newspapers, including the Indian Express, with information about the group and its members.
• He asks the editor to ensure that future parliamentary reports accurately identify members as belonging to the Swatantra Party.