Lucknow: Congress backed independent candidate from Lucknow Ram Jethmalani today (May 3, 2004) alleged that media were "blacking out" his statements.

Venting his ire at a particular national English daily at a press conference, he alleged that they (the newspaper) continue to speak "lies" about ground realities in Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency.

"I condemn this low kind of journalism. The reporting about campaigning here, I regret to say, is one sided and false," he said.

Elections 2004-The Drama unfolds...

He warned that he was not going to take all this lying and hoped that the newspaper would take note of it.

Noted Human Rights activist Teesta Setalwad, who was also present at the press conference, charged the Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee with adopting "double standard" on the question of Muslims.

"On one hand he (Vajpayee) has a Himayat Committee formed for himself and on the other invites Narendra Modi for campaigning in the State," she said.

"This reflects there is a mask over his (Vajpayee's) face," Setalwad said.

Senior Congress leader Syed Shahabuddin also accused Vajpayee of being a man of "double speak".

"They (BJP) are in a State of panic and want the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) to take charge of campaigning," Shahabuddin alleged.