The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Saturday accused the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Government in the State of bribing scribes by offering handsome monetary returns for highlighting the various development schemes of the Government. JMM’s General Secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya slammed the Information and Public Relations Department’s recent initiative of awarding journalists for writing developmental stories on Government’s welfare schemes and called it an effort to violate media ethics.
“The Government is offering Rs 15,000 to journalists for each article written on the welfare schemes. Not only is this an insult to the media ethics, but also a potential violation of the Model Code of Conduct since Jharkhand is set to go to polls soon,” Bhattacharya said while addressing media persons in Ranchi on Saturday.
The Government, Bhattacharya said, has been promoting its schemes and policies since it came to power in 2014. And it is still trying to influence voters through its promotional activities, he added. “This is a serious matter. We have written to the Chairman of the Press Council of India and asked him to intervene,” he said.
Bhattacharya claimed that the last date for accepting applications of journalists under the scheme has also been extended to September 26, calling it an effort to continue promotional works even when the Model Code of Conduct is imposed. “The Election Commission of India too has set guidelines related to media coverage during elections. The Commission also monitors paid news and takes necessary actions,” he said.
Bhattacharya urged media persons to write balanced reports and not get “lured” by the Government’s promises. “We do not have a problem with you (media persons) writing about the Government’s achievements. But you, as the fourth pillar, should also highlight its failures,” he said.
He also blamed the Government for the delay in the announcement of Assembly elections in Jharkhand. On Saturday, the ECI announced elections in Maharashtra and Haryana. Announcement of Elections for Jharkhand too was expected on the same day. “Maybe the Government is not prepared for elections. And that is why it did not want the elections to be announced,” said Bhattacharya.
He added that the BJP was worried after seeing the overwhelming support rendered to JMM’s Badlaw Yatra recently. BJP became the first party ever to win a majority in the Jharkhand Assembly in 2014 and is aiming at more than 65 seats in the 81-member-Assembly this year. The JMM, on the other hand, is the second largest party in Jharkhand and has set a target of turning the tables this year. The BJP’s winning spree, however, continued during the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections in which the party won 12 of 14 seats in Jharkhand.
