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Media should not sensationalise: Bharti

By Our Staff Correspondent

BHOPAL, MAY 12 .The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Uma Bharti, today said that media played a strong role in strengthening democracy but at the same time sounded a note of caution saying that it should desist from sensationalising issues that harm the prestige of the nation.

Ms. Bharti was speaking as chief guest at a special function after laying the foundation stone of a new building being built here by United News of India (UNI) news agency. She said that media should not take up issues that harm the nation's interests even if they bring political benefit to one or the other political party. Citing an example, she said that a particular newsmagazine had given detailed account of only some children belonging to the minority community, who had been orphaned in the post-Ayodhya riots. This gave the impression abroad as if those belonging to the minority religious groups were being targeted and killed in this country, she said adding that the same trend of reporting had been witnessed even during the Gujarat riots.

Times have changed, Ms. Bharti said, and went on to emphasise that every political party would now have to pursue the politics of development. Every one, including the media, would have to talk of the basic needs of the people and there was no room for politics based on narrow lines of caste or religion, she asserted.

The Chief Minister said that media played an important and leading role in strengthening the roots of democracy in this country. When Emergency had been imposed, large number of journalists and editors had to face torture and intimidation but they did not leave the path of truth. In this way they had protected democracy, which was an integral part of the Indian culture and civilisation, she added.

In his introductory remarks, the Rajya Sabha member and Chief Editor of the Nav Bharat Group of newspapers, P.K. Maheshwari, said that UNI was taking a big leap forward in this age of media revolution by going for its own building in the State capital.

Speaking on this occasion, the Chairman of the UNI Board of Directors, Ravindra Kumar said that UNI was the media equivalent of coalition politics. UNI was formed long before coalition politics had gained ground in this country, he said in light humour.

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