By Krista Mahr and Sumeet Chatterjee NEW DELHI/MUMBAI (Reuters) – Just before conglomerate Reliance Industries Ltd completed a deal to take control of media group Network18 Media & Investments Ltd in early July, two top editors stepped down. Neither linked their decision to the change in ownership, but news of their resignation prompted heated debate over the significance of one of India’s most powerful companies buying up some of the country’s leading newsrooms. On July 7, the Independent Media Trust, of which Reliance is sole beneficiary, completed the acquisition of control of Network18, home to news channels CNN-IBN and CNBC-TV18, Forbes India and firstpost.com, among others. “Editorial independence and integrity have been articles of faith in (my) 26 years in journalism and maybe I am too old now to change!” wrote one of the two, Rajdeep Sardesai, who was editor-in-chief of IBN 18 News Network, including CNN-IBN, a respected English-language news channel.