NDA a better govt on corruption front: Ex-PM Manmohan Singh's media advisor Sanjaya Baru

Hyderabad: The tenure of NDA government in the last 20 months has been corruption free but reason for "hostility" of a section of media towards it is due to its "silly" approach in dealing with the fourth estate, said Sanjaya Baru, who had been media adviser to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

"I agree with you. Nothing has come out (there is no corruption case). Certainly, everybody tells you that this is a better government in terms of corruption. Particularly among the ministers, key ministries like petroleum, industries, telecom where the biggest corruption scandals happened in the previous government (UPA-II).

"Those guys are honest and transparent, that's the general reputation. I agree with you," he said at an interactive session on 'Modi and Media' organised by Hyderabad Press Club and Hyd Park on Friday.

However, some sections of the media are "hostile" towards the NDA government because of "silly things", like describing journalists as 'presstitutes' and not being adequately accessible to them, he said.

"The reason for media hostility, first of all I don't think all media is hostile. Majority of the media is still supportive of Modi," Baru said.

"But, a lot of the hostility is coming out because these silly things like you call journalists 'presstitutes', you don't allow them, don't give them interviews, you don't do press conferences, you keep journalists happy, they will keep you happy," he said.

Asked if the Modi government has decided to "live without the media", he said it (government) was now coming around to the view that it needed a media strategy.

"It is true that you do not need the media to win an election...But, once you have come to power, for sustaining your popularity, you need the media," senior journalist and political commentator Baru has said.

He said the main reason for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity is that there still is no alternative.

"It is just complete barren land out there. So, he is miles ahead of competition...," Baru added.