Government sources have clarified to OpIndia that the Government of India is not responsible for nominating members to the Press Council of India. This comes after netizens outraged over the Centre’s choice of members for the Press Council of India on Tuesday.
The netizens expressed their displeasure on seeing the name of the Executive Editor of The Caravan, Vinod K Jose, nominated as one of the members. Vinod K Jose has long been furthering narratives that go against the Modi government and on occasion, even against Hindus of the nation. His magazine The Caravan has regularly peddled falsehoods and spreads anti-Hindu propaganda.
However, clarifying its stance, a government source informed, “The entire process, from seeking nominations to selecting them, is done by PCI which is a quasi judicial body functionally independent of Government of India. To impute that Government of India has nominated any member to PCI is a fallacy and totally unwarranted.”
On 7th March, 2021, the Press Council of India had issued notification inviting nominations for members as the present three-year term was concluding on 30th May, 2021.
Last date for filing nominations was 6th April, 2021. “Twenty of the 28 members of PCI are nominated as per the procedure set out in PCI Act 1978 and PCI Nomination Rules 1978,” the source said further.
It is imperative to note that the Press Council of India is a quasi-judicial body that functions independently without any government interference. It had issued a notification requesting nominations in March this year and the process was closed in April.
Netizens question The Caravan’s Vinod Jose’s nomination to the PCI
Vinod K Jose was one among the six persons appointed under ‘Editors’. However, his nomination sparked outrage.
Former civil services officer Sanjay Dixit termed Vinod’s inclusion in the Press Council of India as appeasement of the enemy of the nation.
Did any1 notice Press Council of India members’ nominations? Straight from Ripley’s ‘Believe It or Not’! At no, 6, Vinod Jose of The Caravan! Looks like someone in @BJP4India feels that nationalists and pro-Hindu voices do not matter, but every enemy of nation is to be appeased! pic.twitter.com/oUh0fseOsZ
— Sanjay Dixit ಸಂಜಯ್ ದೀಕ್ಷಿತ್ संजय दीक्षित (@Sanjay_Dixit) October 12, 2021
One of the users tagged cabinet minister Anurag Thakur and asked why a ‘rabid Hindu hater, anti-BJP and anti-Modi’ journalist Vinod Jose has been given a place on the Press Council of India.
Dear Sri @ianuragthakur , @Anurag_Office how can a rabid hindu hater, anti-BJP & anti-Modi journalist Vinod Jose of Carvan be nominated as Press Council of India member ? https://t.co/tnE9Tj9B6n
— RANJIT KUMAR (@ranjitkumar1960) October 12, 2021
Caravan’s history of Hindu and Modi-hate
The Caravan’s anti-Hindu narrative was the reason behind the controversy. While the nation was mourning the dastardly Pulwama terror attack, The Caravan was busy checking out caste of the martyred soldiers. Their journalist Ajaz Ashraf, just a week after 40 CRPF soldiers were killed in a suicide bombing by Pakistan-backed terrorist, was wrote a morbid article conducting ‘caste analysis’ of the soldiers. He had even called up families of the deceased soldiers to inquire about their caste.
While their Hindu hate is evident, their hate for the Modi government is not hidden either. The Caravan has conducted several shoddy hit jobs on Amit Shah, PM Modi, NSA Doval and his son. There have been several lies peddled and shameless propaganda furthered by the magazine.
In February this year and FIR was lodged against The Caravan for spreading fake news about the death of a protester on Republic Day, where Khalistanis and so-called farmers had gone on a rampage. The Caravan had spread the fake news claiming that “An eyewitness told The Caravan that he saw the police firing from behind the grills of the Andhra Education Society.” In reality, the protester had died after his tractor overturned.
Vinod K Jose himself, who is the Executive Editor of Caravan Magazine had peddled the lie that the Delhi anti-Hindu riots were actually an organised carnage of the Muslims in India. Like most Leftists, Vinod Jose had failed to acknowledge that the violence by Muslim mobs against Hindus had started far before the Delhi riots and also, during the Delhi riots, which were planned by Muslims and Leftists, Muslim mobs had run rampage against Hindus. He had further tried to shield the Tablighi Jamaat when they were defecating and deliberately trying to spread the Coronavirus during the beginning of the pandemic.
