Issues, including the phenomenon of paid news, plight of jute growers and workers, alleged diversion of food grains in Punjab, efforts to distort history by removing names of freedom struggle stalwarts and an AIIMS like Ayurveda institute in the national Capital, figured in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
Cutting across political lines, members expressed concern over the menace of paid news and sought effective Government response to curb it. The elders also asked the Government to take immediate steps to improve the lot of nearly40 lakh jute farmers and four lakh workers employed in jute factories.
Members said a proposed move not to procure jute bags for packaging of sugar and wheat would spell doom for jute industry in seven States after Sukhendu Shekhar Roy from TMC raised it.
On the issue of paid news, members said Governments were putting out advertisements to mislead readers as they were not able to make out if it was an advertisement or a news item. Moreover, this phenomenon was more prevalent during elections and some media houses were resorting to “blackmail,” members like Naresh Gujral from Shiromani Akali Dal claimed.
After members raised concerns over paid news and sought a response from the Government, Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley said paid news is an “aberration” and should be checked. However, he cautioned that Government action could be construed interference in free speech and called from refraining from ad-hoc steps.
Raising the matter, BJP’s Vijay Goel said paid news was affecting the credibility of media and favoured that media should form its own boy to fix accountability. Backing his concerns, JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav called for a short duration discussion in Parliament. Congress’ Anand Sharma termed paid news a wrong practice and said media plays a vital role in democracy while SP’s Naresh Agrawal said paid news was “yellow journalism.” CPM leader Sitaram Yechury said paid news is a “blot on democracy”. Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien agreed that it is a very serious matter.
The Congress alleged that there was diversion of food grains in Punjab due to “collusion” between the State Government and “food mafia”, leading to heated exchanges between the treasury and Opposition benches after Pratap Singh Bajwa from Congress raised the issue. Chandrapal Yadav (SP) said the Central Government was playing politics over drought in Uttar Pradesh.
Meanwhile, the Government announced the first AIIMS-like institution on Ayurveda will be inaugurated in Delhi within three months as part of steps to popularise the Indian system of medicine. Announcing this, Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Yesso Naik said the Government was trying to set up such institutes in all State capitals. Rajiv Shukla (Cong) alleged that the NDA Government was trying to distort history by changing text books about the role played by stalwarts like Jawaharlal Nehru, BR Ambedkar and Abul Kalam Azad. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi denied the charge.