Daijiworld Media Network

New Delhi, Jun 29: "The role of the media today in many cases has become that of the accuser, the prosecutor and the judge," said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during an interactive meet with a group of editors on Wednesday June 29.

The PM, choosing to break his silence over various issues dogging the UPA government, said that the media had created a perception that the government was under seige. He blamed the media for creating an atmosphere of cynicism which hampers growth.

Speaking on the issue of corruption, he said that the government will deal with it step by step and that there was no 'magic wand' to get rid of corruption.

"In the situation today, day in day out we are described as the most corrupt government," said a visibly annoyed Singh.

"We can deal with corruption, we can deal with black money but quite frankly it is wrong for anyone to assume there is a magic wand which will lead to an instant solution of these difficult societal problems," he said.

He stressed that it was left for the parliament to pass or amend the Lokpal Bill though the government would do its best to introduce a strong Bill.

On reports that there was a growing rift between him and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, he reiterated that there was no tension at all.

Five senior editors from the print media interacted with the PM for nearly two hours.