NEW DELHI: Information & broadcasting minister P R Dasmunsi indicated on Saturday that there will be no discussion with the media industry on the controversial broadcast Bill. He said, the Bill would neither be ‘‘diluted’’ nor ‘‘polluted’’ and would be brought to Parliament in the coming Monsoon session.
The minister dismissed as ‘‘baseless’’ and ‘‘out of context’’ the attack on the draft broadcast Bill and ruled out any change in the provisions of the measure that has been severely criticised as “draconian” by the media.
‘‘I can say with responsibility that the Bill will be a media-friendly, progressive legislation not seen anywhere in the world,’’ he told reporters at the 65th AGM of Indian Languages Newspaper Association.
Dismissing reports that the Bill contained provisions that would empower government to muzzle the media, he said, ‘‘Al
talk on the content in the Bill are baseless and out of context. We don’t want to take away any right of the media.”
Asked if the government would dilute the current draft Bill that has been prepared, Dasmunsi shot back, ‘‘We will neither dilute nor pollute it.’’
