Utkal Bharat president draws attention to paid news StatesmanNewsService Bhubaneswar,26December: The president of Utkal Bharat, Mr MA Kharabela Swain today called on Lok Sabha Speaker Ms Sumitra Mahajan and chairman of Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha Mr Lal Krishna Advani in New Delhi to draw their attention to the two recent incidents wherein journalists were given money in press meets of Puri MP Mr Pinaki Mishra in Puri and Bhubaneswar. “I drew attention of Ms Mahajan and Mr Advani to the issue, and both of them have assured to inquire into the matter. I informed them that several of the journalists who had found currency notes in the press kit at Puri are ready to depose before the Ethics Committee,”said Mr Swain. Mr Swain, alleged that organisation of the press conference by Mr Mishra was improper in the first place. “Mr Mishra flouted the norms as he addressed the press conference as the chairman of a standing committee, and not as an MP. Such press conferences are not usually organised by the standing committees. Parliament does not provide funds for such events. Mr Mishra had got the UCO bank officials to organise the press conferences from their resources,” alleged Swain. Wondering why no other members of the committee were present in the press conference, Mr Swain claimed that presence of ruling party leaders in the events at Puri and Bhubaneswar was enough to conclude that the conferences were BJD events.
Posted on: Sat, 27 Dec 2014 13:39:12 +0000