Pune: Congress MP Suresh Kalmadi, who has
been at the receiving end of the media scrutiny in the wake of
the Commonwealth Games mismanagement, today hailed the role of
the fourth estate.
Kalmadi, reacting to the attack on the media by
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar yesterday, said
"freedom of the press is important. I did not talk of banning
media even when I was targeted."
In an angry outburst, Pawar at a public meeting in Nanded
had talked of "banning" the media when a television channel
cameraman was focusing on a farmer who intervened during his
speech to ventilate a problem, accusing the media of giving
negative publicity.
Kalmadi and Ajit Pawar who is nephew of the NCP president
and Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, have been at
loggerheads in the tussle to gain control over the civic
politics in Pune.
"One should not use such language. But what can you do
with the people who are in the habit of using it ?", Kalmadi
told mediapersons here.
PTI
