The Mumbai Press Club deplored Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for humiliating a journalist, while addressing a press conference at his party office in New Delhi on Saturday.
”When asked a few uncomfortable questions on his disqualification as a Member of Parliament, Mr. Gandhi lost his cool and lashed out at the reporter, calling him ‘a BJP worker’. 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,” the Press Club said in a statement issued here.
It is unfortunate that as the leader of one of the oldest political parties in the country, Mr. Gandhi has failed to respect the dignity of the fourth estate, the statement read.
It further demanded Mr. Gandhi to make amends and offer an apology to the journalist concerned.
The secretary of the Press Club expressed serious concern over the manner in which political parties resort to browbeating 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 that the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression is a cornerstone of our democracy,” the statement read.
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