– by Salil Gewali

June 08, 2017:

In the democracy, everyone is answerable to the Government. For any perceived misdeeds or infringement of laws by any person/ persons or business house/houses, the Government usually deploys its competent agencies for the right investigation. It comes under the fundamental norms of the constitution that one is not above the laws. So constitutionally laid down rules and regulations are equal for all.

But one is quite surprised why a certain media groups and journalists are going all out to lambast the government when the CBI recently raided the house of the executive co-chairperson of NDTV Prannoy Roy. Please note, every day a number of such raids are carried out across the country but why are uproars only when it is against a certain media? How could we guarantee that the media in question is a holy cow?

[bctt tweet="CBI recently raided the house of the executive co-chairperson of NDTV Prannoy Roy." username="NewsGramdotcom"]

Yes, this current crackdown against NDTV is pertaining to Rs 48 crore clear default on a loan provided by ICICI bank against which, CBI has filed the FIR on the basis of the relentless complaint by Sanjay Dutta who himself was one of the shareholders of this media company.

Mr. Dutta alleged that NDTV and its promoters have violated a number of laws. A renowned journalist and former Editor of 'The Hindu' Ms. Malini Parthasarathy aptly quipped 'NDTV should allow a probe & not retreat behind the shield of press freedom which is too weighty a concept to be invoked for personal issues.'

The erstwhile vibrant media that never loses its steam to dress down the Government and political leaders for any irregularities and that claims that all political leaders must be subject to a close scrutiny of the media, the fourth pillar of the democracy, should now fully cooperate the investigating agencies. They should not play the victim card and blame the government. Or else, this will only set a wrong precedent that might result in the weakening the governance body by subsequently increasing the monopoly power of a few corporate giants and the elite groups who well know how to score their self-centered goals and agendas.

Particularly, in view of the open glorification and warm embraces extended to some "azadi factions" by NDTV and the like it is too essential that the government should be extra careful so that the integrity and sovereignty of the country is not disturbed. Very frankly speaking, is it not pretty hard to trust NDTV which with impunity aided and abetted a quirky and anarchist – Kanhaiya Kumar and such others … of JNU while downplaying hardships and sacrifices of the army jawans? How could the subversive elements be praised as "heroes" of the country, some stone-pelters as lovable "misled youths", while ones who guard the country along the hostile and icy POK borders as double zeros? It is very important now that the government must sit up and watch the postures and bearing of a certain media before the security system, mutual co-existences among diverse communities, and the administrative setups of the nation get destabilized.

Salil Gewali is a well-known writer and author of 'great minds on India'. Twitter: @SGewali