Rich pol parties taking control of media houses: Mamata

Image
Press Trust of India Kolkata
Last Updated : May 12 2014 | 6:45 PM IST
Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee today questioned the role of a section of media and accused "cash loaded" political parties of have taking control of media houses to serve their narrow political interests.
Alleging that the run up to the Lok Sabha elections has manifested an alarming role of a major section of the media, Banerjee, in a Facebook post today, said she was "shocked" with their "partial and biased" conduct.
"There is hardly any room for doubt that a few major cash loaded political parties have taken up control of media houses and engaged them to serve their narrow political interests, trampling down the ethics of democracy and voice of people," she said.
"The partial and biased conduct of a section of the media, both electronic and print, has shocked me," Banerjee said in her post.
"The brazen personal attacks, distortion of facts, character assassination and vilification in never before manner has stunned the nation."
The West Bengal Chief Minister said that this state of affairs could be overcome only if elections were held with state funding, which has been TMC's long-pending demand.
"These steps are essential for the sake of democracy. If the current trend continues, then the future of our democracy will, no doubt, be at stake," she added.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: May 12 2014 | 6:45 PM IST

Next Story