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Satara (Maharashtra): Nearly a week after Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar
suggested a gag on the media, his uncle and union Agriculture
Minister Sharad Pawar Thursday criticised the fourth estate.
Speaking to newspersons here, Pawar senior expressed his
displeasure over media reports pertaining to the recent plunge in
onion prices in the state.
"When the onion prices shot up, I was blamed. Now, when the onion
rates have plummeted, I am being held responsible. I must be
careful now with the media," an irritated Pawar said when
bombarded with questions on the onion prices.
Last week at a function in Nanded, Ajit Pawar attacked the media
for allegedly indulging in untruths and half-truths and suggested
a gag on those practising such journalism.
This kicked up a storm across the state, with the Patrakar Halla
Virodhi Kruti Samiti boycotting Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan's
weekly media briefing Wednesday.
Seeking an unconditional apology from Ajit Pawar, mediapersons
continued their protest across the state.
Pune mediapersons Thursday boycotted the proceedings attended by
the deputy chief minister at a function in honour of Bharat Ratna
Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, who passed away last month.
Assembled journalists, sporting black ribbons, stopped writing
while the electronic media switched off their television cameras
when he came on the dais to speak.
Earlier, a delegation of mediapersons called on Governor K.
Sankaranarayanan to protest against his remarks.
Unfazed by the protests, Pawar denied having made the remarks and
met Chavan Wednesday to clarify his stand on the issue.
However, mediapersons have stuck to their stand and said that
unless Pawar junior apologises, they would continue to boycott
him.
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