New Delhi: ( May 25, 2012): Several journalists unions and federations held a dharna at Jantar Mantar in the capital here today in protest against the muzzling of press freedom in Andhra Pradesh in the form of CBI attacks on Sakshi media group. A large number of journalists and members of news agencies and newspapers shouted slogans against the CBI and the Government for trying to stifle the free voice. Reacting sharply to the CBI efforts at targeting Sakshi paper and Sakshi Channel at the behest of the Congress government and its efforts to freeze the current accounts of the group, the journalistic fraternity warned the State as well as Central Governments against such black measures. This is the first time that the journalists and their unions staged a demonstration in the national capital in support of Sakshi even as journalists in AP along with intellectuals and progressive groups are waging a relentless battle against the draconian measures in AP on the issue. Leaders of journalists unions condemned the attempt to close down Sakshi which has a circulation of 14.5 lakh copies per day and a very good TRP rating of its channel. They termed the ban imposed on advertisements by the Government and the move to attach the properties and measures to freeze the current accounts as an attack on press freedom. The leaders appealed to the journalists of all media organizations to condemn the developments and join the struggle of Sakshi group employees and teach a fitting lesson to both the CBI and the Governments. They said the reluctance on part of some media organizations in supporting Sakshi employees struggle was unfortunate and such a tendency would invite trouble for all one day. Mr.Ras Bihari, Secretary General of National Union of Journalists (India) Mr.M.S.Yadav, Confederation of News Papers and News Agency Employees Organizations, S.N.Sinha, president of Indian Journalists Union Dr.Pentapati Pulla Rao, analyst, S.Venkatanarayana, former executive editor of India Today, Sanjay Sinha, General Secretary of PTI Workers Union, Soma Sundar, president of APUWJ, Narender Reddy, general secretary of APUWJ and Dileep Kumar, MLC, spoke. Ras Bihari Secretary General