Post-pub attack: BJP to screen media reports

Agencies

Bangalore: Following media coverage on Mangalore pub attack case, state BJP government has plans to restrict them by appointing media obudsman, who would screen reports lacking in objectivity.

Home Minister V S Acharya, echoing the views of a sizable section in Mangalore who say media coverage of the January 24 assault on women at a pub has caused great damage to the reputation of Mangalore, at a peace meeting in Mangalore on Sunday said his Government would consider a policy to keep media “within a Lakshman Rekha”.

“An ombudsman will screen media reports for objectivity and entertain complaints of the public. The media must not go overboard in projecting incidents,” Acharya said.

District-in-charge Minister Krishna Palemar said, “Mangalore has been projected in a poor light across the world by the media.”

However, the Home Minister's proposal came in for criticism, with district secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) B Madhava calling the proposal a “fascist move” intended to prevent the media from reporting freely and fairly.

Mangalore Catholics said the Government must concentrate on putting down vigilantism instead of attacking the media's prerogative to overplay or underplay an incident.