Media Under Siege: Freedom of Press in Jeopardy

Congress leader Randeep Surjewala criticizes the BJP-led central government for its heavy-handed approach towards media, citing incidents of intimidation and control over news outlets like UNI, NDTV, BBC, and Quint. He underlines a pattern of suppression and diminishing press freedom in India, highlighting global concerns over the issue.

In an ongoing confrontation with the press, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala launched a fierce attack against the BJP-led Centre for commandeering the Rafi Marg premises of news agency UNI. Surjewala accused the government of creating an alarming pattern by using police presence to silence media critical of its policies.

Surjewala recollected past incidents as evidence of this pattern, such as the 2016 ban on NDTV India, and the subsequent targeting and acquisition of media outlets NDTV and Quint by influential entities. According to him, the BJP's actions symbolize an overarching strategy to muzzle dissent and control the narrative.

The situation worsened with Delhi's UNI office being sealed, which Surjewala deemed an 'unprecedented atrocity'. The BJP government's actions have also been questioned internationally, with India ranking poorly in the World Press Freedom Index. Nonetheless, law enforcement agencies maintain their actions were lawful and procedurally sound.

(With inputs from agencies.)