Lucknow: Journalist Divya Shrivastava is reportedly receiving online threats and abuse following a viral video of her questioning Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during a supposed press conference on Saturday, September 12.
The journalist told The Pioneer that she asked Adityanath questions, but he smiled and left without answering her. During the press conference, multiple media persons said the CM gave his address and promptly left without taking questions from reporters, who were called specifically for a “press meet.”
After Adiyanath had left, Shrivastava from the back of the hall was heard saying, “Mukhyamantri ji sawal ka jawab dijiye? Press vartha hai yeh. Press ka jawab nahi de pa rahein hain aap, bataye! Press conference ke liye bulaya kis liye tha? Aapki awaaz uthane ke liye, aapki apni baat sunne ke liye. (Chief Minister sir, please answer. This is a press conference. You are unable to answer the press! Were we called to the press conference to just listen to you? To raise your voice and to make your own point heard)?”
BJP supporters confront her after event
Shrivastavi said that while she was leaving, self-proclaimed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters asked which channel she represented and began shouting at her. The reporter said that online, another narrative was being pushed, portraying her as someone sent by the Opposition Samajwadi Party or the Congress.
She dismissed the claims, asserting that she is an independent journalist and that the speculations were being generated to establish a distorted narrative about her questions during the event.
CJP, Congress, SP target Yogi
After the video went viral, the Cockroach Janta Party, Congress and SP, on Saturday, September 12, targeted the chief minister for allegedly leaving without media interaction.
Resharing the video, CJP wrote on X, “UP CM left the Press Conference while a reporter kept asking him to take questions. This is exactly why we rank 157th out of 180 on Press Freedom Index.”
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief and former CM Akhilesh Yadav said Uttar Pradesh has an “overflowing” number of questions, while the BJP-led state government has “no answers.”
“Those who keep changing names should now change the name of ‘press conference’ to ‘press monologue’, because when only a statement has to be given and the press has no right to ask questions, what meaning does the word ‘conference’ have without dialogue?” Yadav said without naming anyone and sharing the same video.
He added, “The truth is that UP is overflowing with questions, but they have no answers. Turning away and leaving, or fleeing the field, is also called that. They show bias in governance and one-sided bluster in press conferences. Now will they also say, ‘Not in the mood to hear questions.'”
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