This
was
pretty
much
on
the
cards.
After
media
went
ballistic
during
last
few
days
lashing
out
at
Ram
Gopal
Varma
for
his
visit
to
Taj
along
with
Maharashtra
Chief
Minister
Vilasrao
Deshmukh,
it
was
expected
that
Ramu
would
reply
through
his
blog.
And
this
is
what
he
has
done
where
after
explaining
his
visit
to
Taj
as
being
purely
incidental,
he
has
challenged
the
very
mentality
of
media
that
has
sensationalized
the
entire
issue.
''I
find
it
shocking
that
in
the
wake
of
such
a
terrible
incidents
happening
in
the
country,
the
media
can
waste
so
much
time
and
telecast
hours
and
subject
the
people
of
the
country
to
something
as
inane
as
some
filmmaker's
presence
at
a
place
which
for
the
life
of
me
I
can"t
understand
how
it
can
affect
anybody
or
anything
in
comparison
to
what
else
is
going
on'',
he
fumes.
Settling
down,
he
goes
on
to
explain
what
really
transpired,
''I
know
Riteish
since
years
as
I
have
done
films
with
him
and
also
since
we
belong
to
the
same
fraternity.
On
that
day
I
went
to
meet
Riteish
to
discuss
Rann,
my
new
film,
with
him
which
incidentally
has
got
nothing
to
do
with
terrorism.
As
we
were
talking,
Riteish
said
that
his
dad
was
going
to
Taj
and
he
wished
to
go
with
him.
So
since
I
was
with
him
I
accompanied
him
there.
Mr.Vilasrao
has
never
been
formally
introduced
to
me
and
he
didn't
even
know
that
I
was
with
Riteish
as
me
and
Riteish
were
in
another
car.
''As
far
as
Riteish
is
concerned
his
information
was
that
the
areas
we
might
be
able
to
see
are
the
ones
where
the
investigations
have
already
been
completed.
By
the
time
we
reached
Taj,
there
were
more
than
60-70
people
there
including
Police
officers,
some
Government
officers
and
Hotel
staff.
In
that
whole
crowd,
I
doubt
Mr.Vilasrao
even
noticed
me.
Yes,
I
was
amazed
that
I
got
a
opportunity
to
see
the
place
where
such
a
horrendous
incident
happened
and
I
would
like
to
know
which
person
in
the
entire
country
would
not
have
been
curious
to
see
the
place",
he
questions
back.
Taking
a
dig
at
the
media
and
the
inference
that
was
made
around
his
visit
adding
to
the
reasons
that
led
to
the
CM's
resignation,
he
quips,
"Media
makes
us
believe,
not
necessarily
by
intent,
that
only
they
have
the
interest
of
people
in
their
hearts,
and
due
to
that
people
tend
to
believe
in
them
blindly.
This
is
a
classic
example
of
the
blind
leading
the
blind.
Outcome
of
this
can
be
many
times
ridiculous.
As
per
some
Media
people's
suggestions
even
if
remotely
this
episode
can
affect
a
Government"s
standing,
I
find
that
almost
as
dangerous
as
terrorism."
The
shocker
comes
in
the
end
when
he
compares
media
with
terrorists,
"If
people
who
attack
the
unarmed
are
defined
as
terrorists
then
Media
at
various
levels
with
their
coercive
methods
and
insinuations
are
very
similar.
A
terrorist
attacks
the
mind
and
kills
the
body,
the
media
attacks
the
mind
with
its
interpretations
and
kills
a
person"s
spirit
with
its
insinuations.
In
a
way
I
would
say
that
Media
is
more
dangerous
than
terrorists
because
they
do
it
under
the
guise
of
safe-guarding
values."
Story first published: Monday, December 8, 2008, 13:53 [IST]