How conveniently K'taka print media downplayed ‘Sweetgate’

The fear of questions being raised on the its own credibility and moral integrity of media persons prevented the media from playing up the issue

Sachidananda Gautam | NT

With only seven months left for the Karnataka Assembly elections, charges of corruption are mounting against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government under Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

Even as the charge of politicians and bureaucrats demanding 40% commission in government projects from every section of the society reverberates, the Bommai government is faced with another embarrassment – the accusation of bribing the media in the guise of a Diwali gift package.

Public and social media nicknamed this act of the government to bribe a few selected journalists to influence them not to write against the government, especially Bommai, with sweet boxes containing cash dispatched from the office of the CM. Media Advisor to Bommai is allegedly taking special interest in gratifying journalists of influential political calibre.

According to reports, a senior official from the Chief Minister’s Office gave “cash gifts” ranging from Rs 1,00,000 to Rs 2,50,000 along with boxes of sweets to a select few journalists at the festival of lights. Allegation of the CM’s office gifting cash has left the state government red-faced. However, the government, Bommai in particular, is doing its best to cover up the matter.

As the issue pertains to the media, it is refusing to die down. According to sources in the CMO, though the CM privately apologised claiming that he was ignorant about cash ‘gifted’ to journalists, he is struggling to wriggle out of the spot. Sources in the BJP admit that the controversy over the CMO’s alleged ‘cash’ gifts to journalists on Diwali has “dented Bommai’s image, while bringing “further disrepute to the Karnataka government”.

Though there have been incidents of previous Congress regimes, especially during the period of SM Krishna between 1999 and 2004, gratifying journalists of mettle to get publicity for their “development” projects and boost the image of the government, the Opposition has gained an upper hand and is demanding a judicial probe into what is being called the ‘CMO Sweetgate’ scam.

Fresh mud has come to stick on the government’s face as Prime Minister Modi had gone to town declaring the Congress a “10% government”. Congress was quick to grab the opportunity, and it launched the ‘PayCM’ campaign. Both the governments are accused of receiving kickbacks, the only change being the different percentages.

The Contractors’ Association, which publicly admitted to paying bribes during the Congress regime, has now raised its voice. “Only because the bribe rates are exceeding reasonable limits will either make government contracts unaffordable, or result in shoddy works. Perhaps ‘Sweetgate’ was thought of as an escape route from the mess,” a senior opposition leader said.

It is significant that Karnataka’s print media completely downplayed the ‘Sweetgate’ episode initially and busily engaged in the fire-fighting exercise of carrying reports of allegations and counter allegations by the ruling and opposition parties. One reason for the print media attempting to whitewash the scam could be involvement of their own staff, who have claimed to have become “victims of circumstances”.

However, social and electronic media did not soften their stand on the issue, which came to them on a platter like a “Diwali gift hamper”. Needless to say, they were waiting in the wings, eager to attack the Bommai-led government left, right and centre. Not surprisingly, some national dailies took ‘Sweetgate’ seriously, criticising the episode as a “fall in journalism standards”, and prioritised the news.

The Telegraph made the incident its top anchor story the next day with a headline that screamed ‘Cash skeleton in BJP govt’s Diwali box’ with the tagline ‘Some journalists return envelope with Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh; others and party silent’. It appears none of the other newspapers dared to make a statement as bold as this.

“Earlier, some selected journalists were given gifts by the government and the CM’s office. But not in the present pattern,” a senior journalist with Prajavani and Deccan Herald said. The ‘development’ has shocked journalists not in tune with social media.

“I did not know about the Bommai government’s misadventure, because news stories on the issue have not appeared in any of the dailies. I learnt about the incident when Janadhikara Sangharsha Parishat (JSP) filed a