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's Purvanchali leader Anil Jha joins AAP
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP's Purvanchali leader and two-time former MLA from Kirari Anil Jha joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the presence of party supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday.
The development came a few hours after the AAP suffered a big blow as its Najafgarh MLA and Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot quit the party.
Kejriwal welcomed Jha to the AAP at party headquarters near Mandi House and dubbed him as one of the "biggest" Purvanchali leaders in Delhi politics. He will boost the AAP not only in Kirari but all over the city, the AAP supremo said.
Party sources claimed that Jha could replace the sitting AAP MLA from Kirari, in the Delhi Assembly polls due in February.
Jha lauded Kejriwal, saying he was influenced by his personality and the work done by the AAP government to improve the lives of Purvanchali people living in unauthorised colonies of the city.
Kejriwal alleged that while the AAP government built 10,000 km of roads and streets, laid 6800 km of sewer lines and provided piped water in 1,650 unauthorised colonies, "the BJP did nothing".
"I want to ask the BJP and its leader Amit Shah, why should Purvanchali people vote for the party. I challenge them to tell one thing they did for the Purvanchali people in Delhi. They promised the registry of properties in these colonies but not a single one could be done in five years," he said.
When asked by reporters Kejriwal, however, refused to comment on Gahlot's resignation from the AAP.
