Patna,(BiharTimes): The verbal duel between Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal president, Lalu Prasad Yadav, at the inaugural function of the Patna edition of “Dainik Bhaskar” on Saturday made it amply clear as to how various rulers of the state used media or even arm-twisted it for their own end. It also revealed the helplessness and limitations of the journalists in performing their duty in free and fair manner in the state.

As the two friends-turned-political rivals took a dig at each other the Union home minister, Sushil Kumar Shinde, who was sitting in between the two, and the crowd at the Shri Krishna Memorial Hall just laughed and smiled. They were getting an idea as to how each other tried to gag the Press during their reign. As to who did more can be judged well by the intelligent audience.

Speaking on the occasion Shinde called upon to check the misuse of social media, especially to foment communal and social trouble in the country. But it was the RJD chief, who first took the occasion to raise the issue of a sort of censorship in Bihar.

He said that the state government was controlling the media in an attempt to black out news of the opposition.

Without taking anyone’s name Lalu said attempts are being made to hog all the limelight in the media through the lure of advertisements. Mediapersons are being virtually compelled to publish the news that suits the present state government.

To buttress his point he even reminded the audience as to how the chairman of the Press Council of India, (Retired) Justice Markandey Katju questioned the freedom of Press in Bihar. Later he constituted a three-member committee to study the media censorship in Bihar.

Nitish, who was listening to his speech with some unease, did not miss the opportunity. First he, in a way, tried to ridicule Lalu––obviously without taking any name––for opening an account on Twitter. He said some people of the old generation are becoming victims of the latest fashion of social media for which youths have great fascination. This is unimagineable.

Like once in the past Nitish again said that the dictionary meaning of twitter is sweet chirping of birds in the morning but people by trying to monopolise it are now trying to transform it into a jarring sound.

Then Nitish went on to recall the Lalu-Rabri rule and went on to ask as to who use to decide which photograph and which news would appear on which page of the newspaper.

As he was speaking Lalu was heard muttering something. But this did not deter the chief minister who said newspapers would then print photos and news of only Lalu.

Nitish went on to claim that he had never interfered in the work of any media organization to influence news in his favour. He said nobody can say that he ever rang up any editor of a newspaper or electronic media to complaint about any news. There is complete freedom whether the Press give news in favour or against the state government.

The chief minister said he go through each and every newspapers to look for prevailing problems which can get corrected and added that the people are the best judge of performance of a leader.