Rahul Gandhi Demands Probe Into Journalist’s Death In Uttarkashi, Flags Pattern Of Ruling Party Targeting Media
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has demanded an urgent inquiry into journalist Rajiv Pratap Singh’s death. He had been missing since September 18.
Singh’s body was found in a lake in Uttarkashi district. It was recovered from Joshiada lake on September 28. The episode prompted urgent calls for a thorough investigation.
Rahul Gandhi took to the social media for an outpouring of his views. He condemned, what he believed was a horrifying incident.
He expressed his sympathies to the family, saying they deserved justice without delay. Further, he called for a quick, fair, and open investigation into the journalist’s death.
Fear and insecurity
He also accused the ruling party of creating an environment dangerous for honest journalism. Fear and security, he believed, gripped the profession.
He alleged that those who report the truth and question the government are being silenced through threats and violence.
He further suggested that the entire episode involving the journalist pointed to how journalists are being silenced for speaking the truth and questioning those in power.
Alongside his statements, Rahul Gandhi shared a screenshot of a media report that described Singh’s death as mysterious. He noted that he had exposed the condition of a government hospital.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, along with the media, expressed anguish. Dhami has also ordered an impartial investigation into the case.
According to reports, Singh’s disappearance’s circumstances remain unclear.
For the unversed, on the evening of September 18, he unexpectedly vanished from Uttarkashi. His car was discovered abandoned on the Bhagirathi River’s bank the next day.
A dangerous trend
The incident is part of a troubling trend of violence against journalists in India.
We may recall that two years ago, five journalists were reportedly killed by non-state actors. Two were killed in Uttar Pradesh. One each died in Maharashtra, Assam, and Bihar.
That year, 226 journalists were targeted across the country. Thirty of them were women. Most of these women were harassed by the police, reports claimed. They faced arrests, FIRs, raids, and questioning.
According to reliable data, Delhi saw the highest number of attacks on female journalists. Kerala and Manipur followed. Other cases were reported from West Bengal, Punjab, Odisha, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh.
State actors were responsible for targeting 148 journalists. Non-state actors, like political workers and criminals, targeted 78 others. The threats came from all sides.
It led to activists calling journalism the most dangerous profession in India, no longer the fourth pillar of democracy. It has become the first pillar under attack.
In 2022, 194 journalists were targeted. Seven of them were women. Jammu and Kashmir reported the highest number. Telangana, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi followed.
The pattern was the same. As many as 103 journalists were targeted. The attacks were spread across many states and union territories.
Journalist Siddique Kappan was arrested five years ago. He was on his way to report on the Hathras rape and murder case.
The case involved a young Dalit woman raped by upper-caste men. She succumbed to injuries. The police cremated her body at night, without her family’s consent.
Denied medicines
Kappan was charged under sedition and anti-terror laws. He was tortured and denied treatment for diabetes. The police reportedly filed a 5,000-page charge sheet against him.
He was accused of not writing like a “responsible journalist.” His reports on caste and religious violence were listed as crimes. His work was said to “incite Muslims.”
This year, journalist Mukesh Chandrakar was found dead in a septic tank. He had gone missing on New Year’s Day. His body was found in the compound of a local contractor.
Chandrakar was known for reporting on corruption. He ran a popular YouTube channel. Police said he had been hit with a blunt object. His body was hidden under concrete slabs.
Three people were arrested. The main suspect is still missing. His death triggered protests by journalists. Press groups demanded a full investigation.
The message is clear. Speaking truth and writing against the people in power in India are dangerous.
Also Read: Investigative Journalism Getting Extinct, Says CJI Ramana https://www.vibesofindia.com/investigative-journalism-gets-extinct-says-cji-ramana/
