*M J Akbar gets boot from Asian Age, Deccan Chronicle* http://www.bihartimes.com/newsbihar/2008/march/newsbihar04march4.html
Patna, (Bihar Times): Editor and writer, M J Akbar, has been kicked out of the Asian Age and Deccan Chronicle after dispute over policy matter. He was editor-in-chief of both the newspapers. Though Akbar said he had been removed because of conflict of editorial viewpoints his decision to contest Rajya Sabha election as National Democratic Alliance candidate from Bihar has much to do with his sacking. According to media reports Akbar and Deccan Chronicle Holdings Ltd, which had a majority stake in Asian Age Holdings parted ways a few days back. He told Khaleej Times, a Gulf daily, "I wanted an independent line, whereas the Deccan Chronicle management was insistent that I be supportive of the pro-establishment, government policies...I haven't quit; I have been forced out." He rubbished rumours of serious differences between him and the Deccan Chronicle on the issues of stake holdings. According to reports, he is holding 10 per cent in the Asian Age Holdings Ltd, while the rest 90 per cent is being held by the Deccan Chronicle; a fact that Akbar outrightly denies. Reports said that ever since Deccan Chronicle increased its holding to 90 per cent from a meek 23 per cent in May 2005, there were disagreements between the two. It needs to be mentioned that Akbar left The Telegraph, as its founding editor in 1989 to join Congress Party. He fought and won election from Kishanganj parliamentary seat on the Congress party ticket. Throughout the Bofors years he solidly behind the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and continued to write By-Line, the name of his column for The Telegraph. However, after Akbar lost the 1991 election he launched Asian Age. in 1993. It used to come out from Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and London. He presided over the rise and fall of this newspaper. Now he has been thrown out from the very newspaper he launched. People close to him holds Congress President Sonia Gandhi responsible for his removal. But Akbar's proximity with the BJP is a known fact. In 2004 parliamentary election he even campaigned for the then external affairs minister, Yashwant Sinha, in Hazaribagh. Akbar, who became the youngest editor of the Kolkata-based weekly magazine Sunday in mid-1970s was out and out anti-BJP throughout his earlier years. He shot into fame for his writings against the communal riots in Jamshedpur, Meerut, Moradabad etc. He also took stand against the BJP throughout the Ram Janambhoomi movement years. Today he is in the same BJP––the party against which he stood so solidly for so many years. Akbar, however, said: "I am independent, and will remain independent. I, as a journalist, have many friends in the politics. Why should I not have political acquaintances and contacts?" "I am not going to be defeated so easily". Whatever be Akbar's claim the fact remained that he was once a Congress loyalist, now strongly with the BJP. And in his capacity as editor he had sacked several journalists just for the sake of possessing different viewpoints. One of them to be removed was Soroor Ahmed, the then Special Correspondent of the Asian Age in Patna, (and now a free-lance journalist who contributes for BiharTimes.com too) a few days after the accident of Rajdhani Express on September 9, 2002.
