- Today’s journalists must follow the basic values of accuracy, fairness, objectivity, appropriateness of news and independence: Defence Minister
- I do not say that the media should not criticise, but where there is a question of national interest, criticism for the sake of criticism is not right: Rajnath
NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, JAN 15
Defence Minister and senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh on Sunday said those alleging violation of press freedom forget that the governments of the saffron party had “never imposed any ban” on any media organisation, “nor curtailed” anyone’s right to free speech.
पाञ्चजन्य में कई बार अपने लेखों में दीनदयालजी सरकार की आलोचना करते थे मगर उनके मन में किसी के प्रति अपमान का या कटुता का भाव नहीं था। राष्ट्रहित को ध्यान में रखते हुए अपनी बात मजबूती से रखना ही स्वस्थ पत्रकारिता है: रक्षा मंत्री
— Rajnathsingh_in (@RajnathSingh_in) January 15, 2023
Whereas, the Congress government had even amended the Constitution to curb free speech, he said while referring to the amendment of Article 19 in 1951.
पाञ्चजन्य के लिए 75 वर्ष की यात्रा आसान नहीं था , आज पाञ्चजन्य की पूरी टीम ने अपनी यात्रा में नया आयाम जोड़ा है , इसके लिए मैं पाञ्चजन्य की पूरी टीम को बधाई देता हूं।
: @rajnathsingh , केंद्रीय गृह मंत्री#Panchjanya75 pic.twitter.com/ci1EIIoN6q
— Panchjanya (@epanchjanya) January 15, 2023
While addressing the event of the completion of 75 years of the national weekly, “Panchjanya”, Rajnath Singh also said that the culmination of 75 years of ‘Panchjanya’ is a significant event in the Indian journalism world.
“Today’s journalists must follow the basic values of accuracy, fairness, objectivity, appropriateness of news and independence,” said Rajnath Singh while also stating that the wrong news should not be published in the race to defeat your rivals or competitors.
“Journalists have the same respect in the country as a teacher. Anyone who tampers with the news, I believe he cannot be a journalist in any case”.
Further clarifying, Rajnath Singh said,” I do not say that the media should not criticise, but where there is a question of national interest, criticism for the sake of criticism is not right.”
“The interesting thing is that those who allege violation of media freedom today forget that whether it is Atalji’s (former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee) government or (Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji’s government, they never imposed any ban on any media house, nor curtailed anyone’s right to free speech and expression in any manner,” he added.
Hitting out at the Congress, the veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said the entire history of the grand old party is “replete with incidents of violation of all kinds of freedoms”.
“The Congress government had even amended the Constitution to curb free speech. People who live in glass houses should not throw stones at others,” he said.
Singh also underlined that the media is the fourth pillar of democracy and its freedom is “very important for a strong and vibrant democracy”.
Talking about the bans and restrictions imposed on “Panchjanya” in the past, the defence minister said the repeated crackdown on the weekly associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was not only an “attack on nationalistic journalism, but also a complete violation of freedom of expression”.
