Soma Mookherjee
KOLKATA, 4 MAY: All India Trinamul Congress leaders on Wednesday raised concerns over India’s plummeting press freedom index and targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government for pushing India towards its darkest days by directly attacking the fourth pillar of democracy.
As per the 2022 Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders, India has ranked 150 out of 180 countries mapped for the report – a drop of eight places from last year’s 142. In 2021, RSF marked India as one of the five most dangerous countries for journalists.
The Paris-based advocacy group did not mince any words while blaming the Modi-led BJP government for the crisis.
AITC’s Barasat MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar on Wednesday pointed out that the drop in the press freedom index was worrying. “Deeply disturbing. Mr. Prime Minister is single-handedly driving our country to its darkest days!” she wrote on Twitter.
Bengal Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee, who is also the AITC secretary-general, said that the attacks must stop at the earliest. “STOP TARGETING THE FOURTH PILLAR OF DEMOCRACY, Mr. @narendramodi! It is indeed a matter of international shame that India has now slipped to the 150th position in the World Press Freedom Index. Darker days lie ahead under @BJP4India’s misrule,” he tweeted.
The RSF report also stated how journalists critical of the Modi government are routinely attacked in a coordinated manner. “Very early on, Modi took a critical stance vis-à-vis journalists, seeing them as “intermediaries” polluting the direct relationship between himself and his supporters. Indian journalists who are too critical of the government are subjected to all-out harassment and attack campaigns by Modi devotees known as bhakts,” the report stated.
AITC also pointed out how the press has routinely been targeted by the Modi-led BJP government. “LATEST FROM #NewIndia: As per World Press Freedom Index, India’s ranking slid down 8 positions:
2021: Rank 142
2022: Rank 150
Mr. @narendramodi, we aren’t surprised. After all, hasn’t THE FOURTH PILLAR OF DEMOCRACY always been in your line of fire?” the party’s handle tweeted on Wednesday.
Tags: #PressFreedom #ModiGovernment #DarkestDayAhead #AITC
