DNA Correspondent l Gandhinagar
Even as two biggies of Election Commission of India, Akshar Rout and
PK Dash, were engaged in dialogues with editors and heads of media
houses apprising them about the need to curb paid news menace, a
newly-launched cable TV channel — NaMo Gujarat —where BJP’s star
campaigner Narendra Modi kept the cable lines hot throughout the day.
However, when the officers were asked about the new channel, they said
that ECI will be scanning all modes of media at three different levels
through Media Certification and Monitoring Committees (MCMC) — from
the internet, SMS, electronic media, cable network, print media, and
newspapers — to curb the menace of paid news. On the other hand,
Congress party has also decided to raise the issue of ‘NaMo Gujarat’
with the election commission at the state level.
“We can’t comment on it at present, as we don’t know about the
channel,” said Rout, adding that they would keep a check on all cash
transactions by the candidates and not only by political parties. “At
present there are no candidates declared, so now we can monitor
political parties’ activities only, while the model code of conduct
(MCC) is in the effect,” he said.
It is to be noted that during 2007 election – ‘Vande Gujarat’ — a TV
channel portraying the achievements of Modi government, had to go off
air because of ECI’s intervention. State information department
sources as well as BJP have confirmed about the launch of channel.
http://epaper.dnaindia.com/
Even as two biggies of Election Commission of India, Akshar Rout and
PK Dash, were engaged in dialogues with editors and heads of media
houses apprising them about the need to curb paid news menace, a
newly-launched cable TV channel — NaMo Gujarat —where BJP’s star
campaigner Narendra Modi kept the cable lines hot throughout the day.
However, when the officers were asked about the new channel, they said
that ECI will be scanning all modes of media at three different levels
through Media Certification and Monitoring Committees (MCMC) — from
the internet, SMS, electronic media, cable network, print media, and
newspapers — to curb the menace of paid news. On the other hand,
Congress party has also decided to raise the issue of ‘NaMo Gujarat’
with the election commission at the state level.
“We can’t comment on it at present, as we don’t know about the
channel,” said Rout, adding that they would keep a check on all cash
transactions by the candidates and not only by political parties. “At
present there are no candidates declared, so now we can monitor
political parties’ activities only, while the model code of conduct
(MCC) is in the effect,” he said.
It is to be noted that during 2007 election – ‘Vande Gujarat’ — a TV
channel portraying the achievements of Modi government, had to go off
air because of ECI’s intervention. State information department
sources as well as BJP have confirmed about the launch of channel.
http://epaper.dnaindia.com/
