Yesterday, a media report had claimed that former Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa had allegedly paid bribes to the tune of ?1,800 crore to the BJP’s top leadership. The story claimed that an Income Tax officer had written to Union Minister Arun Jaitley asking whether the department should investigate a diary that was allegedly kept by former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa in which he detailed huge payoffs made to senior BJP leaders and others. The topic was taken for discussion in Malayalam news channel The Reporter, with T.G Mohandas representing BJP. Mohandas said that the issue of Yeddyurappa’s diary has been brushed aside by the national media, that it is hardly being discussed anywhere, except for a few regional channels.
M V Nikesh Kumar, the anchor, replied that all print and visual media are under corporate control and there are not many media that you could call ‘independent’ in its true sense. He said that the media surrender to the ruling party and that national media are sadly discussing a statement of Sam Pitroda on Balakkot, on a night where they should bring the Yeddy’s diary issue to the discussion table.
He added that the media have stooped to the terrible levels of servitude towards Narendra Modi government that they play to Modi’s advantage only. To this, Mohandas replied that Nikesh Kumar’s channel has been doing exactly the same for Left government.
“You served left and even contested for the party in assembly elections. I thought I will never use this card here, but you have reduced your credibility to such a level. What a shame? Tell me the name of the man who went all the way down to a water-well to serve a political party” Mohandas asked, taking a dig at Nikesh Kumar’s political campaign during the last assembly elections in Kerala.
Nikesh said there are plenty of instances where media has served the interests of P.M Modi, but when T G asked to cite any one instance, Nikesh did not.
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