New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday asked Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmakers to avoid making controversial statements before the media. During his interaction with the BJP MPs and MLAs through the Namo app, Modi said party members should not always blame the media for blowing things out of proportion since it was them who provide “masala” to the press.
“Sometimes our workers blame the media. But have we ever thought that we provide ‘masala’ to media through our own mistakes? Whatever be the issue, we start speaking, as soon as we spot a camera,” said Modi, as reported by ANI.
PM Modi has given this statement after a series of remarks made by BJP lawmakers concerning various issues received flak from public as well as the media. Modi also asked his party members to restrain themselves from commenting on sensitive issues.
“They’ll (media) obviously use parts of your sentences as per their convenience. It isn’t media which is at fault. We’ll have to control ourselves. Only they must give statements who’ve been given responsibility to do so”, the PM said.
However, it seems that Union minister Santosh Gangwar did not listen to what PM Modi had to say. The Union Minister on Sunday stirred a controversy by saying that rapes cannot be stopped.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Gangwar said, “Such incidents [rape cases] are unfortunate but cannot be stopped. The government is alert, and is taking the necessary action. If 1-2 such incidents occur in such a big country, we shouldn’t hype them.”
The minister later cleared it with the news agency saying, “Action should be taken even in rare incidents. Centre took quick action yesterday (POCSO Act amendment). I urge media to cooperate and not sensationalise such cases.” Santosh Gangwar is the Minister of State for Finance.
Gangwar’s statement comes hours after the central government passed an ordinance to amend the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to grant death penalty for the rape of girls under the age of 12.
