'Like financial censorship': INS condemns Sonia Gandhi's suggestion for a 2-yr govt ad ban

After interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi wrote to PM Modi suggesting a complete ban on Government advertisements, the Indian Newspaper Society (INS) condemned Gandhi's suggestion terming it as 'financial censorship'. Sonia Gandhi in her letter to PM Modi on Tuesday asked for a ban of advertisments by the government and Public Sectors Undertakings (PSUs) on all mediums (television, print and online) for a period of two years, to save money for the fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read: Sonia Gandhi Makes 5 Suggestions To PM Modi In Response To His Coronavirus Reach-out

'Deeply disturbing & demotivating'

Calling her suggestion 'deeply disturbing', INS asked Gandhi to withdraw her statement revealing that the amount that went into financing the sector was not only small but highly significant for the survival of the already stressed industry. “There is already a decline in advertisement and circulation revenue due to recession and the digital onslaught. To add to the problem, we now face a severe financial crisis due to the complete lockdown of industries and businesses," read a statement by the INS.

Read: 'Don't Listen To Sonia Gandhi And Stop Ads': BJP To Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren

"At a time like this, when media personnel are  risking their lives and bringing news on the pandemic, Sonia’s suggestion for a two-year ban on media advertisements is deeply disturbing and demotivating for the entire media industry”, the INS president Shailesh Gupta said in the statement."

BJP compares idea to 'emergency'

The BJP had also come forward to condemn this suggestion by the Congress party. The party's State Unit in Jharkhand had said that even in today's times the Congress sought to "dismantle the media with the same thought as they had during the emergency". 

(With Agency Inputs)

Read: PM Modi Reaches Out To Sonia Gandhi Among Other Opposition Netas Amid Coronavirus Fight

Read: JP Nadda Fires Up Over Sonia Gandhi's Lockdown Criticism, Says 'rise Above Petty Politics'