Sushilkumar Shinde's remarks directed at BJP's 'paid team': Congress

NEW DELHI; Amid an uproar over Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde's threat to "crush" the electronic media, Congress today said it has always given respect to the media and his statement was directed at BJP's "paid team", which attacks virulently anyone who targets it or Narendra Modi.

"Congress has always respected the media. It has an important place in a democracy. Shinde has himself clarified in the matter," party spokesman Shaktisinh Gohil told reporters.

The remarks came in the wake of the Home Minister threatening to "crush" the electronic media and later making a U-turn, claiming he was referring to the social media and not journalists.

Gohil utilised the occasion to target Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi alleging that there was huge uproar after the cameras of the Lok Sabha blacked out for two hours. In Gujarat Assembly, Modi has permanently closed the eye of the camera.

The Gujarat chief minister had put a journalist Manoj Shinde behind bars on serious charges of anti-national activities for writing against him, the Congress spokesperson alleged.

The Home Minister's statement was directed at the "paid team" of the BJP, which attacks virulently anyone who targets Modi or his party, he said.

Shinde had stoked a controversy on Sunday evening by threatening to "crush" the electronic media, alleging a section of it was unnecessarily provoking the Congress by indulging in "false propaganda" against it.