The Mumbai Press Club on Saturday released a statement condemning Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on a journalist during his press conference on the same day.
The statement said that Gandhi publicly humiliated the journalist when the latter asked “tough questions” to the former.
“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,” the Mumbai Press Club said.
The statement further read, “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.”
“In this context, it will be appropriate for Mr Rahul Gandhi to make amends and offer an apology to the journalist concerned,” it concluded.
Gandhi was holding his first news conference after being dismissed as a Lok Sabha member on March 24.
The journalist was asking a question about the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) accusation that Gandhi’s comment about Modi’s surname is an ‘insult to the OBC (other backward classes) community’.
In response, the Congress politician told the journalist, “Don’t pretend to be a pressman…Kyun hawa nikal gayi?”
