Govt pressure on independent media fatal for democracy: Congress on action against Gujarat Samachar

New Delhi, May 16 (PTI) The Congress on Friday flayed the ED's action against an owner of the Gujarat Samachar, claiming anyone raising their voice against the government or not compromising with the BJP would have to go to jail.

Bahubali Shah, one of the owners of the leading Gujarati daily, was detained by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) following a raid on its premises.

In a post on X, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that the government was putting pressure on independent media and said it was fatal for democracy.

Kharge cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent interview in which he had said "criticism is the soul of democracy" and claimed that, by getting the Gujarat Samachar director arrested by the ED, "Modi ji has proved that arresting critics is the first sign of a scared dictator".

"Whoever raises their voice against this government, and who does not compromise with BJP, will have to go to jail. The government putting pressure on independent media and using it to its own advantage is fatal for democracy," Kharge charged.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X that the attempt to silence Gujarat Samachar "is another conspiracy to suppress the voice not just of one newspaper but of the entire democracy".

"When newspapers that hold power accountable are locked, then understand that democracy is in danger. The arrest of Bahubali Shah is a part of the same politics of fear, which has now become the identity of the Modi government," Gandhi said in his post in Hindi.

He added, "The country will neither be run by sticks nor by fear -- India will be run by truth and the Constitution." The Congress' head of media department Pawan Khera said, "Late last night, the ED arrested Bahubali Bhai Shah of Gujarat Samachar. The 93-year-old newspaper has been a bold anti-establishment voice. This is the fate of those who have the guts to openly say that The emperor is naked." Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh said X, "We admire the guts Gujarat Samachaar have always shown over the years. At least there are some people left in media who have the courage to stand up and do impartial reporting." "I am sure it is just 'witch hunting' to harass the owners, ultimately they would come out Clean. We all stand by them," he said in his post on X.

Criticising the government's action, the Congress' Gujarat chief Shaktisinh Gohil alleged that severe punishment was meted out for writing and speaking the truth -- the latest case being from Gujarat -- in the Modi government.

He said ED raids were conducted on Gujarat Samachar and GSTV.

"Bahubalibhai Shah, 73-year-old director of Gujarat Samachar, has been arrested. His only crime was that he was continuously asking questions to the government and fixing their responsibility. But… The BJP government is not used to answers and accountability, so by sending ED, it trampled the rights of the fourth pillar of democracy," he said.

Before this, the newspaper's X handle was blocked in India, Gohil said.

"This dictatorial and arbitrary attitude of the Modi government is extremely dangerous for the country, against which we all have to raise our voice unitedly," the Gujarat Congress leader charged.

Shah is one of the directors of Lok Prakashan Limited, which owns Gujarat Samachar. His elder brother Shreyansh Shah is the daily's managing editor. PTI SKC SKC SZM SZM

Source: PTI