Arvind Kejriwal`s threat to `jail` media `condemnable`: Manish Tewari

Zee Media Bureau/Tarun Khanna

New Delhi: Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari on Friday condemned Aam Aadmi Party`s chief Arvind Kejriwal for threatening to send media to jail when his party comes to power. Speaking at a fund-raising event in Nagpur on Thursday evening, Kejriwal said, “For the last one year our minds have been filled with Modi, Modi...Modi and some TV channels have been saying that corruption has ended, Ram Rajya has come, this has happened, that has happened; why? Because money has been paid, TV channels have been paid a heavy amount to promote Modi.” He added: “This time, the whole media has sold itself, it is a big conspiracy. If we ever form the government, we will probe this and everybody, including media personnel, would be sent to jail.” However, the former Delhi chief minister later denied making any such remarks on media. While speaking to ANI, Tewari said, “Media has essential place in our democracy and it is condemnable to say that you will send media to jail. One should be able to handle criticism.” Tewari added that media has a responsibility to broadcast everything in a balanced manner and it should not be biased. The Congress leader had earlier defended Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde`s remarks on crushing elements of media that were spreading false propaganda about the Congress. He had said that UPA government has never targeted any reporter or media house despite their unfair criticism.