Justice Abdul Quddhose of the Madras High Court on Thursday expressed concern over the “decay” in every sphere of democracy, including the media, for quite a number of years and impressed upon the need for media houses to introspect. After quashing many criminal defamation cases lodged by the State government against media houses, the judge said he, as an ordinary citizen of the country, would like to remind the media of the great role it had to play in nation-building by acting as a watchdog.

“Our national motto is Satyameva Jayate which means ‘truth alone triumphs’. We respect the national anthem, flag and emblem but we sometimes forget to respect the motto which is equally important for the survival of our democracy.”

He added, “I am confident all media houses will take this humble request from an ordinary citizen in the right spirit and carry it forward in the best interest of this great nation.”