The Congress party and its President Rahul Gandhi has been screeching about how the Press is under attack and journalists are not being allowed to report as they please. While the anti-Modi brigades tirade has continued unabated without any form of censorship, Congress has indulged in stifling the press many times.
One such incident came to light today when a journalist was allegedly attacked inside 24 Akbar Road, Congress’ headquarters, presumably by Congress workers. In a video posted by Aadesh Rawal, a journalist with GoNews shows how the journalist and his cameraman were attacked.
This is really sad congress people are labelling senior journalist Pradeep ji ( total tv) as Modi Bhagat in 24 Akbar road.
Congress karyakarta,s attacked his cameraman also. pic.twitter.com/S2rga1VVmH— Aadesh Rawal (@AadeshRawal) June 9, 2018
As evidenced from the video, the unidentified Congress worker confronted the journalist, Pradeep for airing “scripted news”. Nobody is sure what the Congress worker meant as he didn’t explain what “unscripted news” could possibly be.
He then proceeds to call the journalist a ‘Modi Bhakt’ and accused him of standing in Congress’ premises and running pro-Modi news. As seen, he then attacks the cameraman and evidently grabs the camera.
The journalist who was being manhandled tells the Congress worker that he doesn’t even know what they are reporting, but the Congress worker in his rage against the Modi couldn’t be bothered about the explanations being provided or about upholding the Press freedom the party’s Shehzaada seems to talk constantly about.
This is not the first time that the Congress party has lashed out at journalists and tried to stifle their right to report. Not too long ago, a journalist Shiv Aroor had claimed that Congress leader Surjewala had called up her superiors to complain about his “political leanings”. Earlier, another India Today journalist, Gaurav Sawant’s family was targeted by Congress aligned trolls. On another occasion, he too was forced to delete some tweets that did not align with Congress establishment’s views.
The respect Congress has for journalists and women, on the whole, was also evidenced by how a female journalist was groped at one of their rallies. An India Today journalist had once shielded Mani Shankar Aiyar from pressing questions asked by Republic TV reporter as well, and the Congress leader had happily praised the journalist for shielding him. Republic TV reporters have been repeatedly heckled by Congress and sympathetic “liberal” community because of their discomfort with Republic asking uncomfortable questions to their coterie.
Veteran Congress leader had also threatened to sue OpIndia for an investigative report that sought answers about his financial dealings and had exposed his U-turn from the answers he had provided for the same to South African journalists.
The liberal coterie that screams the loudest about Press freedom is yet to condemn this shameful act by Congress worker inside their headquarter.
