Full page ad in Washington Post newspaper questions press freedom in India as Modi visits US
Washington: During his visit to the United States, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has received a grand welcome and is engaging in various activities and meetings with notable figures. However, alongside the warm reception, rights advocates, activists, and critics have voiced their concerns and called on the United States to address issues related to Modi's tenure as Prime Minister.
In a notable display of dissent, trucks in New York City carried screens urging US President Joe Biden to raise crucial questions about recent events in India during his meetings with Modi. These questions revolve around ongoing protests by wrestlers and the detention of activists, including Umar Khalid. The Committee to Protect Journalists and its partners on press freedom issues in India took a significant step by publishing a full-page advertisement in the Washington Post.
The advertisement prominently featured the photographs of six journalists currently detained in India: Aasif Sultan, Gautam Navlakha, Sajad Gul, Fahad Shah, Rupesh Kumar Singh, and Irfan Mehraj. It underscored the dichotomy of India being the world's largest democracy while also being one of the most perilous countries for media professionals. The ad highlighted the increasing threats faced by journalists, including physical violence, harassment, baseless lawsuits, and hate campaigns on social media platforms.
The advertisement called upon leaders worldwide who value democracy to exert pressure on those in power in India, urging them to put an end to the threats against journalists and ensure press freedom.
Adding to the chorus of concerns, a group of 75 Democrats, comprising senators and members of the House of Representatives, wrote a letter to President Biden earlier this week, urging him to address specific issues during his discussions with Prime Minister Modi. The letter called for attention to be given to press freedom, internet access, and religious intolerance in India.
A full-page ad by CPJ and partner organizations in the @washingtonpost on Wednesday highlights the #pressfreedom crisis in #India ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official state visit to the @WhiteHouse.@wppressfreedom @RSF_inter @globalfreemedia @IWMF @JamesFoleyFund pic.twitter.com/nSpVH21NPw
— CPJ Asia (@CPJAsia) June 21, 2023
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BJP accuses CM Siddaramaiah of 'misleading' public on govt job figures
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra on Wednesday lashed out at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, accusing him of "misleading" the public on government recruitment figures and "failing" to address the concerns of unemployed youth in the state.
In a detailed post on his X handle, Vijayendra alleged that the Congress-led government was attempting to deflect accountability by blaming the previous BJP administration instead of initiating concrete steps to fill vacant posts.
“Chief Minister, please refrain from misleading the people. Do not attempt to shift the blame for all your shortcomings onto the BJP and evade responsibility. Your administration has earned a reputation for arrogance, corruption and mismanagement,” Vijayendra said, adding that students and youth were not naïve enough to be swayed by what he termed as "exaggerated claims".
Vijayendra's response came following Siddaramaiah's statement on Tuesday blaming BJP for the huge backlog of government job vacancies.
The CM had said that when Congress assumed office in 2023, over 2.64 lakh government posts were vacant.
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The backlog resulted from prolonged inaction under the previous BJP government, which failed to initiate timely recruitment or create a structured roadmap, he said.
As thousands of government job aspirants staged a massive protests in Dharwad on Tuesday demanding filling the vacant posts immediately, Siddaramaiah accused BJP leaders of "misleading students for political gains" and said recruitment irregularities and alleged corruption between 2019 and 2023 had eroded trust in the system, leading to the current crisis.
Questioning the government’s public statements on employment generation, Vijayendra referred to figures tabled in the Legislative Assembly.
“According to the official figures presented by your own government in the Legislative Assembly, only 8,157 government recruitments have been completed during your three years in office. Yet publicly claiming that 40,000 posts have been filled raises serious concerns. Does this not amount to misleading the unemployed youth of the state?” the Shikaripura MLA asked.
The BJP leader also raised the issue of large-scale vacancies in government departments, claiming that lakhs of posts remained unfilled even after the Congress came to power.
According to him, the state was struggling financially and questioned the delay in initiating fresh recruitment drives despite what he described as legal clarity on proceeding under the existing reservation framework.
Vijayendra further criticised the government for prioritising the accommodation of party workers and disgruntled MLAs in state-run corporations with ministerial rank and perks, while unemployed youth continued to wait for job opportunities.
“At the very least, please stop making claims that do not align with facts. Youth unrest in the state is mounting. Before matters escalate further, act with sincerity — or consider stepping down and seeking the people’s forgiveness,” the BJP state chief said.
Noting that frustration among students and job aspirants was intensifying, Vijayendra urged the CM to immediately expedite pending recruitment processes and ensure transparency in appointments.
He warned that the government would be held accountable for any fallout arising out of growing youth discontent.
