Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar is known for his sense of timing and humour. Against the backdrop of the controversy over "surgical strikes" and the Narendra Modi government's capability to handle cross-border terrorism, Parrikar said during an interactive session on Wednesday that many people were asking him about the reality on the ground.
News television channels, in particular, he said, were eager for details, as their viewership depended on TRP ratings. One factor in TRP ratings is who breaks the news. "On international news channels, breaking news is a rare occasion," Parrikar said. "But here (in India), I see every second there is a breaking news.
I don't blame TV channels as the competition is heavy and maybe, Indians, including me, need spicy and juicy stories." But he had a piece of advice for the media and the public: "In defence and security matters, things don't happen overnight."
