Opposition condemns Somnath Bharti for attacking media

Opposition parties Saturday criticised Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti for accusing the media of being bought off by BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, a statement he retracted later.

While the Bharatiya Janata Party demanded the minister's resignation, the Congress advised him against making allegations without proof. The law minister has been violating all laws and has now insulted the media as well, Delhi BJP leader Harsh Vardhan, who was also the party's chief ministerial candidate, said. "This is a sign of intellectual bankruptcy. He should resign immediately," he said.

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh demanded that Bharti reveal the names of people who were receiving money from Modi. "He should not level such allegations without any proof," he said.

Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Sitaram Yechury blamed Bharti's outburst as a result of the media not showing what the Aam Aadmi Party wanted. "When the media was showing what they (AAP) wanted it was good, but now the media has become bad. Questions are rightly being raised against the law minister and he should answer them instead of making allegations against others," Yechury said.

Bharti faced flak for his statement and later retracted it saying: "I did not mean that. I apologise if the remarks have hurt anyone."

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, acknowledging Bharti's mistake, asked the media "not to hound him" and assured that the minister would "think before speaking in future".