Dasmunshi for a sting free year

NEW DELHI: The year 2006 should be free from sting operations, information and broadcasting and parliamentary affairs minister Priyaranjan Dasmunshi told reporters on the sidelines of a function here on Tuesday.

When asked whether the government was planning a legislation to prevent sting journalism, the minister declined. “It’s my personal wish, but the government is not planning any legislation on that,” he clarified. Sting journalism is about exposing `truth’ with the help of a spy camera.

According to Dasmunshi, who recently took over as the I&B minister, corruption should be exposed. But media should rely on sound documentary evidence, rather than spy camera to expose corruption, he said.

Even as sting operation by Indian media was popularised by website ‘Tehelka’ way back in 2000 and 2001 with its reports on match-fixing in cricket and politicians accepting money from reporters posing as arm agents, the trend was in full flow in the past few months.

Video footage of 11 MPs accepting cash for asking questions in Parliament was among the recent sting operations by the Indian media. It was labelled as `Cash and query’ by Aaj Tak and Cobrapost.com, which jointly conducted the operation.

Other sting operations in the recent months included video footage of Jharkhand IG Police PS Natarajan sexually exploiting a tribal girl and an aspiring actress being pre-positioned by actor Shakti Kapoor. (India TV); and images of ‘holy’ men having sex with female devotees.