New Delhi, May 9
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s national media co-incharge Narendra Thakur on Monday said the RSS had emerged as the top target of fake news, even as he called upon journalists to play their role in nation-building.
Speaking at the annual Devrishi Narad Patrakar Samman Samaroh here, Thakur warned against what he described as “negative journalism and fake news in the age of social media”.
“Fake news is a huge challenge. Pressures of breaking news prevent the media from going to the bottom of the truth. RSS is the top target of fake news these days. We have no idea where a lot of news related to RSS comes from. For instance, there are discussions that the RSS conducts poll surveys. The fact is we do not conduct poll surveys and have never hired agencies for the purpose,” Thakur said.
He said yet there was this perception in the media that RSS conducts surveys.
The senior RSS leader also said the media has a role in nation-building and must follow the principle of truth and of how that truth would impact society.
Recalling the importance leading lights of the freedom movement, including Mahatma Gandhi, attached to journalism as a tool to ignite self-pride, the top RSS functionary said, “The need to reignite this self-respect and self-pride in the Indian society is as pressing today as it was before independence and the media has a role to play in this task of nation-building.”
Space must be created for moderate Muslims: CIC Mahurkar
Chief Information Commissioner Uday Mahurkar, who presided over the event, said, “Ultra-radical Muslims must be fought intellectually and physically, less radical ones should be criticised less and space should be created for the moderate Muslims.” He said the violence that often erupted during Shobha Yatras was not unprovoked. “Often in my experience I have seen Hindus utter provocative statements and Muslims then throw stones,” he said. Mahurkar said moderate Muslims should be taken along.
