Nagpur: Defending the live telecast by Doordarshan of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's address on Dussehra, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javdekar on Sunday said that the Government wants to instill professionalism.
The hour-long broadcast on October 3 by DD for the first time of an RSS function had stoked a row with Congress and CPI(M) attacking the government for "misuse" of the state broadcaster while BJP defended it saying RSS genuinely contributed to patriotism and always patronized 'justice to all' philosophy.
"Doordarshan is an autonomous organization and we want to instill professionalism. Therefore, there is nothing wrong and no interference in its functioning," Javdekar said in reply to a question at a press conference here today. Dismissing criticism by the Congress and Left parties over the issue, he said, "We have lifted ban on DD."
Javadekar asked as to why it was not telecast live all these years. "When other private channels are also showing live the annual speech of RSS Sarsanghchalak Bhagwat, what is wrong in DD also showing it," he said.
Bhagwat had at a customary function on Dussehra described Hindutva as the country's "national identity" and the "thread of unity" running through its diversities. He had also patted the Narendra Modi government for initiatives on national security, economy and international relations in a short period of four months.
On BJP's prospects in the October 15 Maharashtra Assembly elections, he said the state will follow the national trend and his party will win with an absolute majority, but did not specify any numbers. To a question on why BJP was not projecting a chief ministerial nominee in the polls, when it had projected Narendra Modi as the Prime Ministerial candidate in Lok Sabha elections, Javdekar said there is no dearth of candidates and the leader will be chosen during a meeting of elected MLAs.
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