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In an unusual demand, Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan Thursday asked the government to look into radio jockeys on private FM channels mimicking Parliamentarians and using “objectionable” language on their shows, an issue which found immediate support from lawmakers cutting across party lines. I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar said the government would look into the matter.
“Are you aware of the language used by jockeys on private FM channels. They are absolutely objectionable, very bad and the latest thing is that they have started giving news of Parliament and they mimic a lot of MPs who have spoken. Are you going to do something about it because this is really not palatable?” she said during question hour in Rajya Sabha.
Javadekar accepted it was a “serious matter” and said complaints of use of “double meaning” language have come before the government.
“Regarding commentary, what she has said is absolutely serious and we have an electronic media monitoring centre, which is monitoring this. We are looking into it and discussing what to do because this is a rising trend which is not good,” he said.
Outside Parliament, several MPs backed Bachchan. Noted lyricist and Rajya Sabha MP Javed Akhtar said one should not be extra sensitive as long as it was not vulgar but added that things should also not cross the level of decency. Javadekar later tweeted that he never objected to mimicking of MPs. “I never said we object to mimicry on MPs. Anybody can mimic us. People can make fun; we never mind. Today Jayaji and other MPs raised objections on vulgarity and double meaning jokes by RJs. I said ‘we’ll look into it’,” he said.