Following INDIA bloc’s, a grouping of 28 Opposition parties to take on the BJP-led NDA in the Lok Sabha elections, decision to boycott 14 news anchors accusing them of conducting “hate-filled” news debates, the BJP condemned it calling it a “deplorable decision” that has revealed the alliance’s “repressive, dictatorial and negative mindset”.
The INDIA bloc, which is in power in 11 states, on Thursday released the list and named the following anchors: Aman Chopra, Amish Devgan and Anand Narasimhan of News 18; Chitra Tripathi and Sudhir Chaudhary of Aaj Tak; Gaurav Sawant and Shiv Aroor of India Today; Prachi Parashar of India TV; Arnab Goswami of Republic Bharat; Rubika Liyaquat of Bharat 24; Navika Kumar and Sushant Sinha of Times Now Navbharat; Aditi Tyagi of Bharat Express; and Ashok Shrivastav of DD News.
As the list was released, BJP national president JP Nadda accused the INDIA bloc of “bullying the media” by “filing FIRs, threatening individual journalists” and “making lists in true Nazi style of who to target”.
“I. N. D. I Alliance should stop their antics immediately. They should instead focus on constructive work and serving people. Else, the path to obscurity will get even clearer,” he said.
In another post, he wrote, “The history of Congress has many instances of bullying the media and silencing those with differing views.”
“Pandit Nehru curtailed free speech and arrested those who criticised him. Indira Ji remains the Gold Medal winner of how to do it- called for committed judiciary, committed bureaucracy and imposed the horrific Emergency. Rajiv Ji tried to bring media under state control but failed miserably,” he added.
“Sonia Ji-led UPA was banning social media handles simply because the Congress did not like their views,” Nadda said.
BJP’s national media head Anil Baluni in a statement, called the INDIA bloc ‘ghamandiya alliance’ (arrogant alliance), and said that the saffron party opposes such “derogatory mentality which hinders the freedom of expression”.
“The decision of political parties which are part of the “ghamandiya” alliance to boycot some journalists shows their mentality of the time of repressive emergency. We have all seen that in a similar manner how the media was stifled and gagged during Emergency. Today also the “ghamandiya” alliance is working with the same mindset of Emergency and vengeance against the media,” Baluni wrote.
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur called the decision of the Opposition alliance “Emergency 2.0”. He drew instances from states of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Opposition ruled states where, he alleges, cases are lodged against journalists.
Union Minister Hardeep Puri wrote on X, “The only instance we have seen of civil liberties being curtailed in India was during the Emergency in 1975.”
“Open calls for eradication of Sanatan Dharma, FIRs against journalists and boycott of media reflect politics of those dark years of Emergency. True face of I.N.D.I.Alliance,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ashok Srivastava, who is the editor and anchor at Doordarshan, whose name is on the list, told The Indian Express, “48 years ago, my father had raised his voice against Indira ji’s Emergency and then the Congress government issued a MISA warrant against my father. But my father did not get scared, nor did he apologise to Indira ji. Today, the Opposition wants to impose Emergency 2.0 on the country… even today we have to fight, not be scared.”