PCI's notice to Congress's Ashok Ghelot for his 'if you want ads, print our news' remarks; Calls for reply in two weeks

News Bharati    16-Jan-2020 10:04:50 AM
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Jaipur, January 16: Taking a suo moto cognisance of Rajasthan Chief Minister's disconcerting statement, the Press Council of India issued a notice to the Rajasthan Chief Secretary over Gehlot's reported remark asking the media that if they wanted advertisements they should publish 'our news'.
 
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In a press conference held on December 16 last year, Gehlot allegedly had said that 'vigyapan chahte ho toh hamari khabar dikhao'. "Such statements is contrary to the values of democracy and affects the reliability and freedom of media", the PCI said in a release.
 
"A notice for reply has been issued to the Chief Secretary of Rajasthan in this regard", it added. While the notice has been issued by president of PCI, Justice (Retd) C K Prasad under Section 13 (Inquiry Procedure) of the Press Council Act 1979, the BJP also raised the issue and accused Gehlot of pressurising the media.
 
“Gehlot is the first chief minister of the state to get such a notice. Gehlot government has been an utter failure and he should spend his time improving the situation in the state instead of threatening the media", BJP state president Satish Poonia said.
 
 
Gehlot has supposedly made the statement at a press conference on the occasion of completion of one year of the Congress government in Rajasthan. He had gone on to say that media houses take advertisements worth crores and we have to call them and tell them to publish news about the government works.