Media should be kept out of the purview of the proposed Lokpal, The Editors Guild of India told a Parliamentary Committee on Friday, which is scrutinising the measure.
Representatives of the Guild led by its President T.N. Ninan appeared before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice and Personnel here and said since media was a “private body” it should not be brought under the ambit of the anti-corruption watchdog.
Besides Mr. Ninan, who is the Chairman and Editorial Director of Business Standard, Coomi Kapoor of the Indian Express and Suresh Bafna of ‘Nai Duniya’, also deposed before the panel.
Several MPs, including those in the Committee, have been demanding bringing media and NGOs under the ambit of the proposed ombudsman.
Some members are understood to have told the Guild representatives that there were no suggestions to bring the “news content” under Lokpal but the “business content” as media houses also buy assets likes land for their infrastructure.
Guild representatives said since media was a private body and not a public body, it should be kept out.
Committee Chairman Abhishek Singhvi is understood to have said that the Guild members have stated their views “clearly and provocatively”.
Besides the Editors Guild, 21 other organisations and individuals were invited to appear before the committee to state their views on the Lokpal issue.
