Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday urged the media to avoid the desire to be sensational and reiterated the need for exercising restraint while reporting any event which may spark communal tension in the society.

"Today our country is going through difficult times. The unfortunate incidents of the past few months have brought out worrying fault lines in our society. The desire to be sensational should be avoided even though it is very tempting sometimes. Restraint should be exercised so that nothing that divides our society and country is written, broadcast or telecast," the Prime Minister said in the southern Indian state of Kerala's port city of Kochi.

Singh, who was in Kochi to lay the foundation stone for the city's Metro Rail project, also urged the media to be "fair, objective and balanced" while reporting any event while addressing the local media union.

He added, "We are proud that freedom of expression is a constitutional guarantee in India. The media in our country is not just a reliable barometer of public opinion; it is also the conscience-keeper of our nation."