‘Opposition and media unitedly can strengthen democracy’

Media plays a significant role in upholding the principles of democracy, says Priyank Kharge

Congress MLA for Chittapur Priyank Kharge has said that the Opposition parties and the media played an important role in strengthening the democracy.

He was addressing a gathering after inaugurating the Journalists’ Day Celebrations organised by the Karnataka Union of Working Journalists in Shahabad taluk of Kalaburagi district on Friday.

He said that the media played a significant role in upholding the principles of democracy by creating awareness and providing information to the public and acting as a watchdog of government policies.

Under the freedom of expression, it had been inferred that the press had the right to inform and educate people. Mr. Kharge said that the media played a vital role in forming opinions, to unseat governments, and influence decision making by the people.

As the citizens received information about new policies, projects, schemes, and amendments through the media, they could assess the working of government and analyse their pros and cons. People in the media had set an example with their investigative journalism to find out reality, to fight against corruption, he said.

He, however, said that the commercialisation and corporatisation of the media had affected the quality of journalism in many ways.

KUWJ district president Baburao Yaddrami said Mr. Kharge had sanctioned ₹50 lakh for the construction of Patrika Bhavan in Chittapur taluk and also allotted land for housing facilities for reporters at the taluk.