External Control On Press Not Good For Society, Says PM Narendra Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today strongly backed press freedom but also appeared to caution the media against "unrestrained writing".

At a function to mark the National Press Day, PM Modi also said "external control" on the press is not good for society.

"Freedom... freedom of expression needs to be followed, but there must be limits. Like a mother who tells her children not to eat too much," said the Prime Minister.

Mahatma Gandhi, he said, used to say that "unrestrained writing can create a huge crisis".

"Mahatma Gandhi had said uncontrolled writing can create huge problems but he had also said that external interference would wreak havoc. Controlling it (media) externally cannot be imagined," he said.

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PM Modi said the government should not interfere in the working of the media but added that it is the responsibility of the press to change appropriately with time.

"Government should not do any interference. It is true that self-introspection is not easy... It is the responsibility of the PCI and those associated with the press to see to it that what appropriate changes you can make with time. Things do not change from external control," he said.

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Referring to recent cases of killing of journalists, he said: "Any death is worrying, but journalists losing their lives just because they are highlighting the truth, it becomes even more serious then." His remarks came against the backdrop of murder of two journalists in Bihar.