The Press Club of India has strongly condemned the attack against journalist Raghav Trivedi during Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s rally in Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh. According to Indian Express, Trivedi, who works for news portal Molitics, was assaulted by a group of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders.
The Press Club of India has urged immediate action from the Election Commission of India and local administration against those responsible for the attack. The club highlighted the ongoing trend of physical intimidation, harassment, and attacks against journalists in India, which undermines democracy’s fourth pillar.
Trivedi stated that during Shah’s rally, he interviewed several women who mentioned being brought to the event by their village pradhan with the promise of payment. He then approached local BJP leaders to verify the claims of paid spectators. Trivedi said that initially, the leaders denied any wrongdoing, but when he informed them of recorded statements from the women, a group forcibly took him to a secluded area and demanded he delete the recordings.
Trivedi further stated that the police and bystanders present did not intervene to help him. Newslaundry reported that despite the presence of 40 police personnel at the scene, no action was taken to rescue Trivedi.
The Congress party has also expressed outrage over the incident, sharing a video of the journalist and criticizing the BJP for the assault. The party’s official account stated that Trivedi was kidnapped and severely beaten by BJP goons when he refused to delete the recordings.
The recent attack highlights the alarming situation of press freedom in India. According to the latest World Press Freedom Index report, India ranks 159th out of 180 countries. The report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) expressed concern about the crisis facing press freedom in India, citing the rule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi since 2014 as a factor.
