Friday, December 30 2005 14:23 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader M Venkaiah Naidu today (Dec 30,2005) made a direct appeal to party members to 'not to leak information' to the media as it only hurt the organization, amidst reports that the controversial VCD which led to General Secretary Sanjay Joshi's resignation was an 'inside job'.

"The damage caused by leaking information to media is not only to the concerned individual but to the party as well," Naidu told delegates at the party's national convention here.

"Media is a great practitioner of social justice. Tomorrow, if they get hold of something about you, they will publish that too," Naidu said.

The former party chief cited some incidents when the media indulged in 'sensationalism and speculation,' he said.

A leading newspaper, he said, had published a false news item about his car having injured a pedestrian.

"The incident did not happen and BJP leader Arun Jaitley, who, according to the report had arrived at the spot within five minutes, was at that time in London, "he said.

"The newspaper published a small clarification, that too after reminders to the Editor, "Naidu said.

The same thing happened in a leading weekly newsmagazine, he said. After the magazine published a 'wrong' item about him he approached the weekly Editor but no clarification was given.

Admitting that the cash-for-query scam involving some BJP MPs had dented the party's image to a certain extent, Naidu said, "Some of our people have had to pay for their mistakes."