New Delhi: The Mumbai Press Club, on Saturday (March 25), slammed former Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for reportedly snubbing a journalist during a press conference at his party office in Delhi. Gandhi had reportedly called the journalist a ‘BJP worker’.
At the press conference, the journalist asked Gandhi a question after which he said, “Why are you directly working for BJP? If you want to work for BJP, then wear a BJP badge. Don’t pretend to be a pressman… Kyun hawa nikal gayi?”
#WATCH | “Don’t pretend to be a pressman…Kyun hawa nikal gayi?”, says Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to a journalist questioning him on his conviction in ‘Modi surname’ case pic.twitter.com/SdaaUeraoy
— ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2023
The Mumbai Press Club issued a statement on the incident and stated, “Mr Gandhi failed to respect the dignity of the Fourth Estate.”
The Mumbai Press Club deplores Congress leader Shri Rahul Gandhi for humiliating a journalist while addressing a press conference at his party office on Saturday morning.@RahulGandhi pic.twitter.com/pOBkfmZQoK
— Mumbai Press Club (@mumbaipressclub) March 25, 2023
Its statement read, “The job of a journalist is to ask questions and it is the duty of political leaders who call press conferences and engage with journalists to answer these questions with dignity and decorum. It is unfortunate that as the leader of one of the oldest political parties of the country, Mr Gandhi failed to respect the dignity of the Fourth Estate.”
“At a broader level, it is a matter of concern that political parties of all hues have been attempting to browbeat journalists using derogatory language and threats as a response to news reporting they find unpalatable. We once again appeal to all political actors to uphold the freedom of the press to report and provide critical comments. They must remember the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression is a cornerstone of our democracy,” it further read.
Rahul Gandhi held a press conference in New Delhi on March 25, a day after he was disqualified from Parliament following his conviction in a defamation case. Addressing the press conference, Rahul Gandhi said that he is not afraid of going to jail and will continue to raise the Adani issue.
Reacting to the BJP leader’s comment that had Rahul Gandhi apologized, this situation would not have happened, the Congress leader said that he is Gandhi, not Savarkar and Gandhi doesn’t offer apologies. The former Congress president also said that he would write to the people of the Wayanad constituency to allay their apprehensions