New Delhi: Role of television channels came in for sharp criticism in Parliament with members accusing them of giving too much coverage to Anna Hazare's crusade against corruption.
"Is dibbe se bahut dikkat hai" (This idiot box gives a lot of trouble)," said Sharad Yadav (JD-U) in the Lok Sabha, referring to the non-stop coverage of Hazare's indefinite fast at Ramlila Maidan in the capital.
The private news channels are so obsessed with Hazare that they have stopped showing other important news especially floods in different parts of the country particularly in eastern India, he said, participating in a debate on the Lokpal issue.
He wondered why Congress MPs regularly visit TV studios, participate in the discussions and subject themselves to scrutiny by "Bengali babu moshai".
Amid frequent applause from all sections of the House, Yadav said, "The country is not run by discussions on television channels, but by debates in Parliament".
The 24-hour news channels, he added, "are not allowing us to sleep." BSP leader Dara Singh Chauhan too said that television channels do a lot to improve their TRP ratings.
Rewati Raman Singh (SP) demanded that both electronic and print media should be brought under ambit of the Lokpal. DMK member TKS Elangovan too attacked the media for its role in the movement saying it has turned the crusade against corruption into a fight against Parliament and Constitution.
"In democracy people are the judges and not media", he added.
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