'Media doesn't want consensus among political parties'

Union minister Jairam Ramesh and BJP leader Nitin Gadkari agreed that media should be kept out when political leaders debate on major policy issues

Senior leaders of Congress and BJP today joined hands in attacking media, saying the fourth estate is the "real culprit" in dividing political parties and should be kept out during debates over major policy issues.

Union minister Jairam Ramesh and senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari agreed that media should be kept out when political leaders debate on major policy issues as it would help in generating consensus among political parties.

"We have to keep media out of this. Because media is the real culprit. Whenever we have kept media outside we have managed to build consensus. Media doesn't want consensus," Ramesh said when Gadkari alleged the Congress government at the Centre has never involved the Opposition in a healthy interaction on contentious issues.

Gadkari also said that media should be kept at bay so that decisions on major issues could be reached.

The former BJP president agreed with the Union Minister when he said, "if both Nitin Gadkari and Jairam Ramesh stop badmouthing each other, then their TRP will come down."

They said the media tweaks facts to create split among politicians and the political leaders have always reached consensus when media was kept out of it.

If there is a consensus, that would not make news for media, both said participating at a panel discussion moderated by Aaj Tak Executive Editor Punya Prasoon Bajpai at "Agenda AajTak 2013", a two-day conclave began here today.

However, the leaders were divided over other issues including the issue of existing "political dynasty" in the Congress and Sangh Parivar's role in setting the BJP's political agenda.

When Gadkari alleged that the Congress has been reduced to a "mother-son party" and has shifted from its Nehruvian era values, Ramesh said that the RSS plays the similar role in the politics of the BJP.

Ramesh said the 2014 Lok Sabha polls should not be among personalities, but political parties.

"In a parliamentary democracy, polls should be among parties, their ideologies and manifestos. Elections should not be reduced to a beauty contest," he said.

However, Gadkari said that the Congress has always been a personality-centric party. He cited the role of Nehru-Gandhi family in running the affairs of the Congress party.