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Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal once again attacked the Indian media, saying, “A very large section of the media has accepted ‘supari’ (killing contract) for finishing off AAP.” The Delhi Chief Minister accused the press of maligning the image of AAP and demanded a ‘Janata Ka Trial’. “If you see that a particular channel is showing something factually incorrect, then you should raise the issue…. There can be a public trial. There can be 8-10 spots in Delhi where we can collect a group of people and show the erroneous clip. That way we can start a ‘janta ka trial’,” the AAP chief said. (Also read: Gajendra Singh’s suicide: Is Aam Aadmi Party solely responsible for farmers’ suicide?) Also Read - COVID-19: Centre Should've Admitted That There is Community Spread in Delhi, Says Satyendra Jain

Since the formation of AAP, Arvind Kejriwal has been having a love-hate relationship with the media. Are his allegations about the media true? Does the Indian media really need introspection? Shouldn’t Kejriwal and AAP look at their sins first? Let’s take a look at the issue. Also Read - Coronavirus Tests in Delhi Highest in The World, 3057 Tests Conducted Per Million; Says Arvind Kejriwal

Arvind Kejriwal – ungrateful to the media:

AAP has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons since its massive victory in the Delhi Assembly Elections 2015. Kejriwal alleges that certain sections of the media are spreading anti-AAP reports. Has he forgotten the times when the media gave extensive coverage to the party? Has he forgotten the role of the media in spreading the anti-corruption movement of Anna Hazare and him pan-India? Let us remind him that the media has played a vital role in his journey from nobody to somebody.

Kejriwal talks about a ‘Janata Ka Trial’ for the media. Why doesn’t he conduct the same test for his own party? AAP expelled two of its senior leaders just because they raised a voice against Kejriwal. Isn’t it enough to prove that AAP believes in dictatorship rather than democracy? Also, if a Kejriwal government minister submits a fake certificate, how can he expect the media not to cover it?

Kejriwal’s tendency of blaming the media for everything shows his helplessness. He has failed to unite his party and stop his partymen from unsocial activities. He must understand that the media’s focus won’t shift easily from Delhi, as the people have given a clear mandate to AAP and with huge expectations from the party.

The media will play watchdog as you have made a lot of promises, Mr Kejriwal. If you fail to deliver, the media won’t allow you to escape easily. It is their work and delivering your promises is yours. Better focus on governance than teaching media its responsibility. With great power comes great criticism.

Media:

A few incidents in the last two months have raised serious concerns about the way the Indian media is functioning. First, Minister of State for External Affairs General (Retd.) V K Singh who successfully executed Operation Rahat to evacuate people from war-hit Yemen called certain section of the media ‘presstitutes‘ after popular news channel Times Now misinterpreted one of his tweets.

Recently, a Nepali woman staying abroad asked the Indian media to leave Nepal in the wake of their sensational reporting from the earthquake zones in the country. And now, we have Arvind Kejriwal too slamming the press.

Don’t you think something is wrong in the way the media is perceived? Or is the media doing something wrong? A section of the media has indulged in a ‘race’. This rat race is not just about surviving in the news market, but to prove themselves to be faster than others. To remain ahead in the race, a few journalists have set aside the ethics of journalism. To grab viewers and readers, they are trying to make stories as sensational as they can. And that is why a Nepali woman dares to tarnish the image of the whole Indian media on a social networking site.

Let’s face reality. We will have to accept that some media persons pampered a few politicians during the General Elections 2014. And media-politician nexus is also common. There are black sheep in the press and we need to find them. If we don’t, the Indian media will soon lose its credibility and the likes of Kejriwal will be proven right. (Edited by Shweta Parande)