MANGALORE : The PUCL  report has also referred in  detail to the  manner in  which home minister VS Acharya in his blog had  resorted to a scathing attack on  “The Hindu”, “Times of India”  dailies and “CNN-IBN” news channel which had presented analytical reports on the moral policing activities of Hindu organizations in Dakshina Kannada district.
The PUCL report  has pointed out how Acharya had filed an objection in his blog by saying “ The media has been irresponsible in  not verifying the facts before presenting reports that cause embarrassment to the government.” The report has also held mirror to all the statements recorded by Acharya in his blog.
Acharya who had also objected to a national newspaper (read as The Hindu) publishing a 3 col 20 cm report in its third page on the sexual abuse on a  minor girl  and her death, when local Kannada dailies (Pro-BJP) had published the same in a 2 col 10 cm report in page 10, had even commented on the former report as “ A report which could be termed as prejudiced.”
Not only that, he in his blog also says “ There is no limit to the imagination of journalists. Don`t you think, there is a need for some ‘self regulation’ by  those in the media?”   Acharya has also given a judgement that it was wrong on the part of the media to glorify and give undue prominence to the reporting of the kidnapping of Manjeshwar MLA’s daughter.
“ None raise objection to  the  attacks on church in Kerala where there is Communist rule and in Tamil Nadu which is under a DMK government  : but in Karnataka  human rights organizations and some other letterhead organizations   raised a clamour. Much was published against police officials. A retired High Court judge (Justice MF Saldanha), Christian organizations and Transparency International  together dampened the spirit of our police personnel,” Acharya has documented in his blog.
Continuing to spew venom on the media Acharya further  mentions in his blog as so. “ Truth is always bitter ; but not as bitter as to become venom. The newspapers are resorting to negative reporting and are influenced by the Page 3 culture. They are resorting to  vicious propaganda and are trying to prove a false itself as truth. They publish reports without verifying facts. It has become a habit for them  to do so and then not to give any clarification.”
Acharya who has even taken the Times of India to task for publishing a critical report on his media ombudsman proposal,  has   mocked at the newspaper by saying the report itself has proved that there was a need for an ombudsman.
Acharya has further alleged that the Times had published some comments which were not made by him.
The PUCL report has  said  several statements  of Acharya defending  the opposition to pub      culture, have also been published in the blog.
According to Acharya the Mangalore pub attack became a national headlines only because the national channels purchased the photographs of the  incident  from local photographers and that had the video footages not appeared in national channels the incident would not have been known to the outer world. Acharya  in his blog has given a clarion call -‘Say no to pub culture.’ He has even put up photographs related to  the incident collected by him.
Acharya has  even lambasted  the secular and progressive minded people in the media  in his blog entries several times and has  given his own equation  by saying Communists+ Leftist journalists +Mangalore = Anarchy.
On the Manjeshwar MLA’s daughter’s kidnapping, the home minister said  the story was cooked up just to divert public attention from the investigation into the Bangalore blasts.
He has even expressed suspicion that  the Communist workers were in constant touch with terror outfits.
Acharya has also made an allegation that ‘Congress workers who are opposing the anti-terrorism campaigns in colleges, were encouraging terrorism.”
On  Union minister Renuka Chowdhury’s  sharp reaction to  the Mangalore pub attack “ Acharya has questioned “ What else can be expected from the minister who launched an attack on the cops ?”

Related news:

1. Kannur case : PUCL fact-finding report ready
2. Moral policing by PFI: No progress in probe
3. Development of Mangalore suffers set back due to moral policing : British High Commissioner
4. Youth Cong wants an end to moral policing
5. Another moral policing incident, this time in Puttur