New Delhi: In his Friday rally at Bahraich, BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi attacked the Information and Broadcasting Ministry for issuing media advisory to TV channels for showing his speech on par with the PM's Independence Day address alleging it was trying to gag him and BJP.
This has become the latest ground for a fresh war of words between the Congress and the BJP.
On his part, I&B Minister Manish Tewari took to Twitter and questioned the state of freedom of press in Gujarat.
He said that the Gujarat CM had his facts about the advisory wrong and added that Modi talking about freedom of press was like the "devil preaching scriptures."
"The advisory was issued this week for what was shown on last August 15. The Central government was not concerned about the honour of the PM but that on October 27 when Rajnath Singh and Narendra Modi were addressing in Patna their 'shehzade' was giving a speech in Delhi," he said, in a reference to Rahul Gandhi's Delhi rally.
On Thursday Manish Tewari had defended the October 21 circular claiming that not only is it not binding on channels but it also pertains to national days like August 15 and January 26 when the addresses of the President and the Prime Minister are in their capacity as leaders of the nation and not as representatives of political parties.
In his speech at Bahraich yesterday Modi hit out saying the real reason for the government's concern was not "belittling" of the PM but concern that Modi's rally in Patna might get prominence over that of Rahul in Delhi on October 27.
Two months after Independence Day this circular was issued which refers to the coverage of the Prime Minister's speech alongside that of "other political leaders".
It says: "Whereas the telecast of this kind of programme on a day when entire nation was celebrating its 67th Independence Day is highly objectionable. The PM spoke from the ramparts of Red Fort as the PM of the country and not as a leader of a political party. Therefore, on such a solemn day to put him in an artificial competition with anyone is not appropriate.
"On Independence Day when the Prime Minister addresses the nation and the country is united in the emotions of national integrity, patriotism and national fervour, the attempt by certain TV channels to denigrate the status of the Prime Minister can best be described as sensational against all norms of ethical journalism."
