Rajiv Bajaj, MD of Bajaj Auto

“I don’t want my child to inherit an India built on hate”: Rajiv Bajaj

Mumbai: Baja Auto and Parle Products, two leading companies in India, have decided to blacklist news channels that spread toxic content and are engaged in hate-mongering.

In an interview with the CNBC-TV18, industrialist Rajiv Bajaj, MD of Bajaj Auto said that the two/three-wheeler manufacturer has blacklisted three channels for advertising as the company does not endorse toxicity and hate-mongering in society.

Following his decision, Biscuit maker Parle Products also announced its decision to stop advertising on such news channels.

According to a report published in the newspaper Mint, Parle’s senior category head Krishnarao Buddha said that the channels promoting aggression and toxicity are not the kind the company wants to put money into as it does not favour its target consumer.

“We are exploring possibilities wherein other advertisers can come together and sort of put a restraint on their advertising spends on news channels, so that there is some sort of a clear signal to all the news channels, that they better change their content,” the newspaper quoted Buddha as saying.

Speaking to Gulf News, Bajaj said that he does not want his child to inherit an “India built on hate”. He has also raised his concerns against the government and their partners in the past.

The developments come amid an ongoing probe being conducted by the Mumbai Police against certain news channels including Republic TV for indulging in malpractices to enhance their TRP (Television Rating Point).

TRP is a tool to judge viewers’ choice and the popularity of a TV channel, thus directly linked to the advertisements it commands. The ratings are calculated on the basis of viewership in a confidential set of households through a device known as a barometer.