In an attempt to cover-up the participation of the pro-Khalistani elements in the ongoing farmers’ protest, the Editors Guild of India today issued an advisory criticising the media organisations for using labels such as “Khalistanis” and “anti-national” for describing the involvement of Khalistani supporters in the farmers’ protest.
In its issued media advisory, the Editors Guild of India has expressed its concern about the news coverage of the farmers’ protest in the national capital, stating that certain sections of the media have been labelling them as “Khalistanis”, “anti-national”, and other such terms to discredit the protests without any evidence or proof.
“This goes against the tenets of responsible and ethical journalism. Such actions compromise the credibility of the media,” the advisory said.
“EGI advises media organizations to display fairness, objectivity, and balance in reporting the farmers’ protests, without displaying partisanship against those who are exercising their constitutional rights to express themselves. Media shouldn’t be complicit to any narrative that derogates dissent and stereotypes protestors based on their attire and ethnicity,” the statement further added.
It is pertinent to note that the advisory was issued by the Editors Guild of India after several media organisation brought to fore the participation of pro-Khalistani supporters in the farmers’ protests. Despite their reports confirming that the protests were indeed hijacked by Khalistani supporters and sympathisers, the Editors Guild of India, perversely and counterintuitive, went ahead and attempted to whitewash their involvement, alleging that exposing Khalistani elements who have hijacked the farmer protest is akin to displaying ‘partisanship’.
Multiple reports confirm the involvement of Khalistanis in the farmers’ protest
There have been several instances when demonstrators participating in the farmers’ protests have displayed their Khalistani proclivities. One of them was Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu, who had become the face of the farmers’ protest. Sidhu unabashedly hailed Khalistani terrorists Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale as a revolutionary fighter who fought for a strong federal structure. This was exposed in his interview with Barkha Dutt, who had self-admittedly provided him with a platform to come clean on the allegations of him being a Khalistani supporter.
However, the Punjabi actor refused to condemn Bhindranwale as a terrorist and went on to claim that the media during that time weaved a narrative and falsely portrayed him as a terrorist. He also alleged that about 80-90 per cent people in Punjab still do not consider Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale as a terrorist.
Sidhu was not the only Khalistani supporter who was associated with the farmers’ protests. On many instances during the protests, the demonstrators were seen raising pro-Khalistani slogans and holding posters of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. In one of the videos from the protests that had gone viral, protesters were seen gloating over the death of the former Indian PM Indira Gandhi and threatened PM Modi with a similar fate if their demands were not fulfilled.
Even as Khalistanis took charge of the ongoing farmers’ protests, the principal opposition party, Congress, fuelled the protests, hiding behind the veil of ‘farmer’ protests. Punjab CM and senior Congress leader Amarinder Singh has been standing in support of the protesters even as they are seen bragging about Indira Gandhi’s assassination and dishing out similar threats to PM Modi.