West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday took a swipe at a section of the media, particularly some electronic news channels, for targeting her government by dishing out “canards and exaggerated and negative news items” to show the administration in bad light.

“Wrong news items and canards are being circulated by a section of the media, particularly some news channels, to target the government. They are even distorting my own version,” Banerjee said after releasing the special puja (festival) edition of Trinamool Congress organ “Jago Bangla”, in Kolkata.

The chief minister alleged that these media were suppressing facts and thus causing “news pollution”, pointing to projection of some rape incidents in the state.

“Everyday rape incidents are being highlighted as if the entire state has become a land of rapists. Rape is sought to be glorified by these people. This will not be tolerated by people.

I would like to say that negative journalism only destroys and it is time to champion positive journalism,” she said.

Banerjee alleged that news items were being tailored to serve business interests and that “in some of the media there exist dadagiri and didigiri.”

Challenging those daring to control her government, she said instead of doing so in individual capacity, I would like to ask them to join politics and run the government.