Opposition lambasts Govt for misusing8217; Prasar Bharati Act

NEW DELHI, DEC 17: Led by former Information and Broadcasting Minister V N Gadgil, the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha today strongly critic...

NEW DELHI, DEC 17: Led by former Information and Broadcasting Minister V N Gadgil, the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha today strongly criticised the Government for 8220;attacking, assaulting and assassinating8221; the Prasar Bharati Act which had given autonomy to the official electronic media.Raising the matter through a special mention, Gadgil said the Government had 8220;arbitrarily and unceremoniously8221; removed two members of the board acirc;euro;ldquo; one a noted historian and another a well-known literary personality acirc;euro;ldquo; and reduced the term of office of two other members.

He expressed concern that there was no chairman, no member representing finance and personnel, no chief executive officer CEO and no director general of Doordarshan and All India Radio on the Prasar Bharati board.All this, Gadgil said, was 8220;part of a larger picture of infiltrationquot; of the media.

He said independence of autonomous institutions like Nehru museum and library and the Indira Gandhi Centre for Art and Culture and similar other bodies was alsoin danger as quot;people of political conveniencequot; were being placed everywhere.

Seeking an assurance from the Government that the autonomy of Prasar Bharati would be maintained, he said of late quot;Doordarshan has become Vajpayee Darshanquot;.

He was supported by many Opposition members but opposed by K R Malkani BJP.When Malkani offered to clarify the position, the BJP member was shouted down by a number of Opposition members who asked in which capacity he wanted to give clarifications when leader of the house Jaswant Singh was present.Associating with the issue, Malkani said the then information and broadcating minister S Jaipal Reddy had mutilated the Prasar Bharati Act by quot;arbitrarilyquot; amending it even though the legislation had been approved by both Houses of Parliament and signed by the President.

Malkani said there was nothing wrong in retiring one-thirds members of the board after a two-year term as per the provisions in the original act.Describing the Government8217;s action in removing the two membersas quot;infringementquot; of the jurisdiction of the Prasar Bharati, CPIM member Sarala Maheshwari said Romila Thapar and Rajendra Yadav were the most vocal and active members of the board.

Bill seeking ban on cow slaughter tabled
A private members8217; bill seeking to prohibit the slaughter of cow and its progeny was introduced in the Lok Sabha today amidst stiff opposition by Muslim League member G M Banatwala.

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The ban on cow slaughter Bill, 19998242; was introduced by Adityanath of BJP after leave granted by the House by a voice vote. Opposing the introduction of the Bill, Banatwala said the Bill was not only unconstitutional but also 8220;outside the legislative competence8221; of the Lok Sabha and urged the Speaker not to allow its introduction. He said the Supreme Court had struck down a similar bill of Madhya Pradesh.