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Journalism of Courage
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday denied having any idea about opposition bloc INDIA members boycotting anchors of various TV channels even as his deputy, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, has defended the decision and Congress leader Pawan Khera on Saturday said they have not banned, boycotted or blacklisted anyone but it is only a “non-cooperation movement”
In Patna, Nitish said some members of the Opposition bloc may have felt there might be some problems with the TV anchors and thus might have taken the decision. “I have no idea about this. But I have always been for freedom of the press, which is under attack from those in power at the Centre. I assure you full freedom to practice your profession once we defeat the current dispensation,” he told reporters.
“I am in support of journalists,” Nitish said. “When everyone gets full free freedom, journalists will write what they want. Are they controlled? Have I ever done it? They have rights, I am not against anyone.”
Nitish’s JD(U) is part of the INDIA bloc, whose working group on media on Thursday put out a list of 14 TV anchors on whose shows the constituents will not send their representatives.
The BJP has criticised the move, which has also drawn flak from some journalists’ bodies.
Addressing the media on the Congress Working Committee’s (CWC) first meeting in Hyderabad, Khera “This is a non-cooperation movement, we will not cooperate with anyone spreading hatred in the society…They are not our enemies. Nothing is permanent, if tomorrow they realise that what they were doing is not good for India, we will again start attending their shows.”
He also admonished his party colleague and cabinet minister Chandra Shekhar for his controversial remarks on Ramcharitmanas.
Defending the opposition alliance’s decision to boycott alleged pro-BJP news anchors Yadav told the media on Friday, “The sub-committee concerned took the decision not to take part in shows organised by those who are rabidly pro-BJP and try to give things an incendiary turn.”
The RJD leader spoke with reporters in Patna on Friday, upon his return from Delhi, where the decision to this effect was taken during a coordination committee meeting of the INDIA coalition.
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