New Delhi, March 13 Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi raised concerns on Friday about the alleged misuse of media, including social media, to create communal divisions and demanded the formation of a multi-party committee to check the "harmful" effects of narratives that promote hatred among communities.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, he stated that Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, had said that the BJP had spread hatred across the country.
"The truth is that they haven't just spread kerosene, but to ignite sparks, the government has handed matches to the media," he alleged.
Pratapgarhi said there is no space on TV screens for debates on youth unemployment, because prime time is filled with "shows like Love Jihad, Spit Jihad, Land Jihad, Vote Jihad, UPSC Jihad".
He further stated that the "bulldozer" of media arrogance is trampling on the prestige of India's Constitution and courts.
"I request the government to form a multi-party committee whose purpose is not censorship, but to protect future generations from the harmful effects of media and social media," the Congress MP said.
He also made a case for strengthening the Press Council and NBDSA, and stopping the creation of false content that divides the nation.