Trinamool rakes up SSR case in LS, suggests law to regulate media coverage

New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANS) The Trinamool Congress on Wednesday raised the mysterious suicide of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput in the Lok Sabha, suggesting the Central government to formulate a law to regulate media coverage in sensitive cases.

Speaking during Zero Hour, Trinamool Congress leader Pratima Mondal said that until the government formulates a law in this direction, it must issue a set of guidelines for media coverage of sensitive cases.

The MP from Jaynagar constituenty in West Bengal said that the Indian media hit a new low while covering the unfortunate suicide case of Sushant Singh Rajput, who was found hanging in his Mumbai’s apartment on June 14.

“Not only that, circulating images and asking insensitive questions to the relatives and close ones increases their pain, anguish and suffering. This is extremely disrespectful even of the deceased,” she said.

The MP said this form of heartless reporting has severe impact on young minds, who might get inspired by the person who has passed away.

“This also, sometimes, triggers these minds to take the same steps, and this did happen already. The very next day, a teenager committed suicide; and then a series of such incidents came to our knowledge,” she said.

Mondal said that major countries around the world either follow the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines or have formulated their own laws for sensitive reporting of suicide cases.

“It is high time that India also formulates a law in this direction; until that happens, the government must issue a set of guidelines for coverage of sensitive cases by the media,” the Trinamool MP said.

Mondal said that mental health should be given more importance and called for setting up a national suicide helpline number.

–IANS

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