New Delhi: Role of television channels came
in for sharp criticism in Parliament with members accusing
them of giving too much coverage to Anna Hazare`s crusade
against corruption.
"Is dibbe se bahut dikkat hai" (This idiot box gives a lot
of trouble)," said Sharad Yadav (JD-U) in the Lok Sabha,
referring to the non-stop coverage of Hazare`s indefinite fast
at Ramlila Maidan in the capital.
The private news channels are so obsessed with Hazare that
they have stopped showing other important news especially
floods in different parts of the country particularly in
eastern India, he said, participating in a debate on the
Lokpal issue.
He wondered why Congress MPs regularly visit TV studios,
participate in the discussions and subject themselves to
scrutiny by "Bengali babu moshai".
Amid frequent applause from all sections of the House,
Yadav said, "The country is not run by discussions on
television channels, but by debates in Parliament".
The 24-hour news channels, he added, "are not allowing us
to sleep."
BSP leader Dara Singh Chauhan too said that television
channels do a lot to improve their TRP ratings.
Rewati Raman Singh (SP) demanded that both electronic and
print media should be brought under ambit of the Lokpal.
DMK member T K S Elangovan too attacked the media for its
role in the movement saying it has turned the crusade against
corruption into a fight against Parliament and Constitution.
"In democracy people are the judges and not media", he
added.
PTI
