For the first time, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today gave credit to the media for AAP's electoral success even as he raised concern of alleged attempts that are being made to push "agenda" in the "garb" of news that has given negative publicity to his government.
Kejriwal said his government had no issues with the media and needed it "than anyone else".
Addressing MLAs during two-day orientation programme for them, Kejriwal said, "There is a symbiotic relation between the media and legislature and both have to work together. They are not two sides of the table, instead they are same side of the table.
"Media needs legislature as it has to keep them responsible for their work. Similarly, legislature needs media as works done by the government come to the people through media. We are blamed that we fight with media...Why should we fight with media. We need media more than anyone else. If we fight with media, how will our voice reach out to households," he said
"A major share of the credit for the success achieved by the Aam Aadmi Party goes to media. Had they (media) not brought our voice to the masses, people would not got to know about us .... Give votes to us.
"Today, media is an important institution of democracy...But within media whether its functioning is democratic or not which is a very serious question," Kejriwal said.
The AAP chief has often said that his party won the polls not because of the media, but despite it.
The Delhi Chief Minister also said that before polls, the media did not take the Aam Aadmi Party seriously, but now it has entered government business, negative publicity hampers the image of the government.
"...More than 99 per cent reporters are dead honest and they are doing their job very nicely. They would work with us .... Till late night and they become friends to us.
"But, some reporters told us that our editor has sent them to do a negative story against us despite the fact they don't know story. This is not a story instead it is an agenda," he said.
The two-day Orientation Programme for MLAs was today concluded in the Delhi Assembly.
