Congress, BJP spar over PM Modi's 'I did Satyagraha' remark in Bangladesh
New Delhi, Mar 26: The Congress and the BJP on Friday sparred over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remark that he did satyagraha for Bangladesh's freedom, with the opposition party questioning the statement's veracity and the ruling party asserting that it was true.
Addressing the main golden jubilee celebrations of Bangladesh's Independence and the birth centenary of its founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Dhaka in the presence of his counterpart Sheikh Hasina and President Abdul Hamid, Modi recalled the 1971 war and said the pictures of atrocities that the Pakistan Army inflicted on the people in then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) used to disturb people in India.
"I must have been 20-22 years old when I and my colleagues did satyagraha for Bangladesh's freedom," he said.
Tagging the prime minister's remarks, Tharoor said, "International education: our PM is giving Bangladesh a taste of Indian 'fake news'. The absurdity is that everyone knows who liberated Bangladesh."
Another Congress leader Jairam Ramesh shared a cartoon taking a dig at Modi and tweeted, "Entire Political Science by Narendra Modi."
BJP's IT cell chief Amit Malviya tweeted, "Was Prime Minister Modi part of satyagrah organised by Jana Sangha for recognition of Bangladesh? Yes, he was."
"A citation awarded by Bangladesh to Vajpayee ji speaks of the rally. PM Modi, in a book authored in 1978, also wrote about going to Tihar during Bangladesh satyagrah!" he said and shared a snapshot of the citation to Vajpayee.
International education: our PM is giving Bangladesh a taste of Indian “fake news”. The absurdity is that everyone knows who liberated Bangladesh. https://t.co/ijjDRbszVd
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) March 26, 2021
Entire Political Science by Narendra Modi. pic.twitter.com/LvJvJ4JfpY
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) March 26, 2021
Was Prime Minister Modi part of satyagrah organised by Jana Sangha for recognition of Bangladesh?
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) March 26, 2021
Yes, he was.
A citation awarded by Bangladesh to Vajpayee ji speaks of the rally.
PM Modi, in a book authored in 1978, also wrote about going to Tihar during Bangladesh satyagrah! https://t.co/nihrAIjjD7 pic.twitter.com/d0iTELWlpN
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International Federation of Journalists says 128 journalists killed worldwide in 2025
Majority killed in conflict zones
Brussels, Belgium: A total of 128 journalists lost their lives across the world in 2025, with more than half of the deaths recorded in the Middle East, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said on Thursday.
According to the global press body, the Palestinian territories accounted for the highest number of fatalities, with 56 media professionals killed as Israel’s war with Hamas continued in Gaza. IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger described the situation as unprecedented, saying the concentration of deaths in such a small geographical area over a short period had not been seen before.
“This is not just a statistic. It is a global red alert for our colleagues,” Bellanger told AFP, warning that the scale of violence against journalists reflected a deepening crisis for press freedom worldwide.
Journalists were also killed in several other countries during the year, including Yemen, Ukraine, Sudan, Peru and India. This shows the risks faced by media workers in both conflict zones and politically volatile regions.
Bellanger also criticised the lack of accountability for attacks on journalists, arguing that impunity continued to fuel violence against the press. Without justice, he said, those responsible for targeting journalists are emboldened to continue.
The IFJ report said 533 journalists were currently imprisoned, a figure that has more than doubled over the past five years. China remained the world’s largest jailer of journalists, with 143 reporters detained, including several in Hong Kong, where the imposition of national security laws has drawn criticism from Western governments.
The IFJ noted that its death toll is typically higher than figures released by other watchdogs due to differences in methodology. Its count for 2025 includes nine journalists who died in accidents. In comparison, Reporters Without Borders reported 67 journalists killed in the line of duty during the year, while UNESCO placed the number at 93.
