NYT Opinion Piece On Press Freedom In Kashmir 'Mischievous & Fictitious': I&B Minister Anurag Thakur

Union Minister Anurag Thakur hit out at the New York Times over an opinion piece that alleged that the Indian government's "repressive media policies are destroying Kashmiri journalism."

New Delhi: Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur on Friday criticised New York Times (NYT) for an opinion piece on freedom of the press in Kashmir saying that the NYT guest article was published with "sole motive to spread propaganda about India". He remarked that the NYT and other link-minded foreign media are "nourishing a grudge" against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Union Minister also added that the foreign media "have long been systematically trying to peddle lies" about India's democracy.

The response pertains to an NYT guest piece titled 'Modi’s Final Assault on India’s Press Freedom Has Begun' written by Anuradha Bhasin, the executive editor of The Kashmir Times.

"New York Times had long back dropped all pretensions of neutrality while publishing anything about India. NYT's so called opinion piece on freedom of press in Kashmir is mischievous & fictitious published w/ a sole motive to spread a propaganda about Indi and its democratic institutions and values. This is in continuation with what NYT and a few other link-minded foreign media have been spreading lies about India and our democratically elected Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiji. Such lies can't last long," Anurag Thakur wrote.

"Some foreign media nourishing a grudge against India and our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi have long been systematically trying to peddle lies about our democracy and pleuritic society. Freedom of Press in India is as sacrosanct as other fundamental rights," he added.

"Democracy in India and We the people are very matured and we don't need to learn grammar of democracy from such agenda driven media. Blatant lies spread by NYT abt press freedom in Kashmir is condemnable. Indians will not allow such mindsets to run their decisive agenda on India soil," the Sports and I&B Minister asserted.

Modi Govt's 'Repressive Media Policies Are Destroying Kashmiri Journalism': Kashmir Times' Executive Editor

In her opinion piece, Anuradha Bhasin alleged that the Indian government's "repressive media policies are destroying Kashmiri journalism."

"An information vacuum hangs over Kashmir, with the public under-informed — or misinformed — about what’s going on in the region. Important news is suppressed, downplayed or twisted to suit government ends," she claimed.

The Kashmir Times' Executive Editor alleged that the Modi government was enforcing the same policies for media across the country: "An ignorant public and a government free of scrutiny and accountability are threats to democracy. But Mr. Modi appears intent on replicating this across India."

"The proposed amendments to national guidelines for digital media that were unveiled in January are strikingly similar to those imposed on Kashmir, empowering government fact-checkers to label online content as “fake or false.”," she wrote in the NYT guest essay.

Anuradha Bhasin cited the example of controversial BBC documentary 'India: The Modi Question' and how it was blocked by the Modi government. She went on to mention the CBI visits to BBC’s offices in India stating, "Such raids have been used repeatedly to pressure critical voices in the media."

Criticising Prime Minister Modi, she put up several serious accusations against him: "Since he took power in 2014, Mr. Modi has systematically debased India’s democratic ideals, bending courts and other government machinery to his will."

"The media stands as one of the last remaining institutions capable of preventing India’s descent into authoritarianism. But if Mr. Modi succeeds in introducing the Kashmir model of information control to the rest of the country, it won’t be just press freedom that is at risk, but Indian democracy itself," the Kashmiri journalist wrote.