Be objective and restrained in reporting on Telangana: Ambika Soni

NEW DELHI - Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni on Wednesday issued a directive to all the television channels in the country to be objective and restrained, while commenting or reporting on the burning issue of Telangana.

Speaking after a high-level meeting convened by the Union Home Ministry, she noted that there should be no provocative broadcast, which could stir the emotions of the people for no reason.

“The Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh also attended the meeting called by the Cabinet Secretary, where the Secretary of Information and Broadcasting Ministry was also there. So all this has been discussed,” said Soni.

“We have issued a request to all the channels even in Andhra Pradesh to be objective and restrained so that there is no provocative telecast which could cause an incident to happen,” she added.

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, earlier today presided over an emergency meeting of the Union Cabinet to review the Telangana state issue and security in Andhra Pradesh ahead of the submission of the Srikrishna Committee report.

Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Defence Minister A.K Antony were among those present at the meeting.

Earlier, the five-member committee on Telangana statehood issue had said it would give “several options with their pros and cons” in its report that will seek to achieve the highest satisfaction of the largest number.

Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, committee chairman and former Supreme Court Judge Justice B N Srikrishna hoped that the report, to be submitted to Home Minister P Chidambaram by December 31, would offer a solution to the divisive demands for the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

He also expressed the hope that all political parties in the state will accept the report and maintain peace and harmony after the report is submitted.

“I hope peace prevails in the state after the report is submitted. It is the responsibility of the politicians and the media,” he said.

The seven-point term of reference announced by the Union Government on February 12 has mandated the Justice Srikrishna Committee to “examine the situation in Andhra Pradesh with reference to the demand for a separate state of Telangana as well as the demand for maintaining the present status of united Andhra”.

The Government constituted the committee on February 3, nearly two months after it had announced that steps have been initiated for the formation of a separate state of Telangana.

The Telangana region is spread over 10 northern districts of Andhra Pradesh. (ANI)