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19 cases in Press Index database: Accident, Love Triangle murder and incidents in Congress-ruled states included to implicate BJP govt and ‘Hindu Nationalists’

RSF conveniently did not check their own database to question the Congress governments and added even instances of accidents etc to implicate Hindu Nationalists and downgrade India's press freedom index, saying that journalists were not free only after the Modi government came into power.

Reporters Without Borders or RSF recently released the “Global Freedom Press Index”, a highly biased ranking that appeared like an exercise to reinforce the Left’s international propaganda against governments that did not hew to their ideology. The rankings demoted India to 150 from 142 last year, placing it below despotic regimes like CCP’s authoritarian rule in Hong Kong and theological monarchies like the United Arab Emirates.

Russia, which is currently at war, was placed at 155th position, down from 150th last year, while China climbed up by two positions with the Reporters Without Borders placing it at 175th position. Last year, China was placed in the 177th position. Turkey, a country whose president is known for ruthlessly crushing out dissent and jailing journalists deemed critical of his rule, has been shockingly placed above India, at 149th position.

The RSF’s prejudice against India was glaring, and it made no bones about being biased in what it claimed to be an index that was an accurate reflection of the freedom of the press across the world. Far from being a neutral entity presiding over the Global Press Freedom Index, RSF seemed like a leftist outpost doing the bidding of the Indian Left and maligning the country on the international stage. 

“On the World Press Freedom Day, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and nine other human rights organisations ask Indian authorities to stop targeting journalists and online critics for their work,” the international non-profit organisation pompously said in a statement on its website. “More specifically, they should stop prosecuting them under counterterrorism and sedition laws.”

“The authorities’ targeting of journalists coupled with a broader crackdown on dissent has emboldened Hindu nationalists to threaten, harass and abuse journalists critical of the Indian government, both online and offline, with impunity,” it said. “The authorities should also conduct prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigations into allegations of threats and attacks targeting journalists and critics, including from government officials,” the RSF said, adding, “journalists should not have to risk their freedom and their lives to do their work.”

As the above statements by RSF illustrated, the non-profit organisation was quite blatant in admitting to its bias against India, making unsubstantiated claims against the Modi government to justify its decision to lower the rank of India on the Global Press Freedom Index.

While it offered reasons to rationalise its rankings and present them as a result of “objective analysis”, a report published by OpIndia demonstrated how despotic nations, notorious for taking repressive measures against journalists, have fared better than India on the global rankings. OpIndia had also reported on the flawed and patently prejudiced methodology espoused by the non-profit organisation to arrive at the said rankings. 

The RSF has also sought to vilify millions of Hindus who rally behind PM Modi, pejoratively referring to them as “bhakts” to undermine the credibility of support that PM Modi enjoys. The term as pious as “bhakts” was sullied by the Indian Left after they could not comprehend the support PM Modi had among the masses and used it to discredit his popularity across the country. The RSF apes the Indian Left in using the term “bhakts” to project PM Modi’s followers as wicked and his accomplice in squelching free press in the country. 

It has also normalised terms like “Godi Media” to call an entire section of media PM Modi’s “Lapdogs” (A word they specifically use). Further, they call out Republic TV and Times Now specifically saying that they spread “pro-BJP propaganda.” Interestingly, they had earlier claimed that one of the essentials for a country to have press freedom is that it is “accepting” of politically divergent views, going as far as to say that even acceptance of “political affiliated” views is also a prerequisite.

To prop up its decision to lower India’s rank on the Global Press Freedom Index, the RSF has attached a list of journalists imprisoned and killed in India, which it claims had a bearing on the overall performance of the country on the organisation’s rankings.

However, most of the cases cited by the non-profit organisation are legitimate cases, such as those accused in the Elgar Parishad Bhima Koregaon violence or are unfortunate accidents in which journalists have lost their lives. Many others are from opposition-ruled states, yet the RSF pinned the blame on the Modi government for their arrests and deaths.

The website mentioned 14 instances when journalists were imprisoned in India. The journalists mentioned in the list are as follows: 

Gautam Navlakha

The first on the list of RSF is Gautam Navlakha, a ‘human rights activist’ and a ‘journalist’. He is currently in jail in connection with the Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case, linked to an event organised at Shaniwar Wada called Elgar Parishad on December 31, 2017. The following day, i.e January 1, 2018, large scale violence broke out at Bhima Koregaon, where lakhs of Dalits had gathered to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon, won by the British Army—comprising mostly soldiers from the Dalit community—against the Peshwas in 1818.

The documents retrieved from Navlakha by the investigative agency also hinted at his ties with the Maoist leaders. In its charge sheet, the NIA mentioned that Navlakha had made speeches at various forums and platforms on many issues related to the Kashmiri separatist movement and CPI (Maoist) movement. According to an NIA official privy to the details of the charge sheet in the Elgar Parishad Bhima Koregaon violence case, several strategic documents related to CPI(M) were recovered from Navlakha.

Gautam Navlakha and other Naxalites he was associated with were also in touch with Hizbul Mujahideen and other Kashmiri separatist leaders, the Pune Police had submitted in the Bombay High Court. Despite his links with the violence that broke out at Bhima Koregaon, his connections with the Maoist leaders and his alleged dalliance with Hizbul Mujahideen and other Kashmiri separatist leaders, the propagandists at RSF believe that his arrest is unjust and an indicator of perceived repression under the Modi government. 

Siddique Kappan

The second one on the list of imprisoned journalists is Siddique Kappan, arrested while on his way to cover the Hathras case of alleged rape & murder of a 19-year-old Dalit woman, under the garb of journalism to create a caste divide and law & order disturbance in the state.

The Uttar Pradesh government filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court stating that the UAPA accused Siddique Kappan is an office-bearer of the Islamist organisation Popular Front of India (PFI) and was on his way to Hathras pretending to be a newspaper journalist from a Kerala-based outlet called ‘Tejas’ that was closed in 2018.

Nilesh Sharma

Journalist Nilesh Sharma was arrested in Chhattisgarh, a Congress-ruled state, after the ruling government charged him with spreading fake news. Sharma, who is known for his biting political satire, was arrested for his popular political satire series ‘Ghurva Ke Mati’, wherein he used fictional characters resonating with the Congress leaders and MLAs in Chhattisgarh.

Catering to the growing intolerance, one of the little known Congress worker Khilwan Nishad lodged a complaint against Sharma and accused him of using derogatory language against the Congress leaders of the state. The cyber cell of Police immediately acted upon the complaint and arrested Sharma right away. 

Jitendra Jaiswal

In January 2022, police in Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh arrested Jitendra Jaiswal, editor of Bharat Samman. He was arrested under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 151, 107, and 116 as conveyed by the police in the notice of arrest sent to his wife, Priya Jaiswal. “Jitendra Jaiswal has been arrested on 10 January and will be produced in Raipur court on 10 January,” the notice had read.

However, his wife alleged that she was not even informed about the arrest made by the police, insinuating that his detention might have been extra-judicial. The police nevertheless stated that he was arrested under preventive sections in relation to police family related protest.

Sajad Gul

Sajad Gul, a Kashmiri journalist, was arrested in January 2022 for whipping up anti-India sentiments by uploading a protest video with anti-national slogans raised by some women after wanted terrorist Saleem Parray was eliminated in Shalimar Srinagar.

Gul was arrested for instigating people to “resort to violence and disturb public peace.”

“…the said person under the garb of journalist [sic] is habitual of spreading disinformation/false narratives through different social media platforms in order to create ill will against the government by provoking general masses to resort to violence and disturb public peace and tranquility,” the statement released by the police read.

He was charged under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration) and 505B (fear or alarm to the public) of the Indian Penal Code.

Manan Gulzar Dar

In October 2021, the NIA arrested Manan Gulzar Dar, a Kashmiri journalist, on the serious charge of his ‘involvement in militant conspiracy’. 

While for the RSF, conspiring to carry out terror activities might be within the “ambit of one’s journalistic duties”, the police arrested Dar on charges of being a part of a “conspiracy orchestrated in Pakistan” to “radicalise impressionable youths” and give them “arms training” for carrying out “terrorist acts” and “waging war against the government of India.”

Citing technical evidence procured against Dar, the police said the said Kashmiri photojournalist was an overground worker for top terror commander Abbas Sheikh and was booked under IPC Sections 120 (B), 121 (A), 122 and 123 (which deal with criminal conspiracy, conspiracy to commit crime, collecting arms and concealing, with intent to facilitate, designs to wage war) and UAPA Sections 18, 18A, I8B, 20, 38 & 39. 

Anand Teltumbde

The RSF list of ‘journalists’ imprisoned in India also included Anand Teltumbde, who was arrested in connection with the Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case for his alleged links to Maoists. 

A court had dismissed his bail plea saying the charges against him were prima facie true. But for the RSF, Teltumbde was a victim of government’s repressive measures to stamp out dissent. 

Special NIA Judge Kothalikar observed that Anand Teltumbde has failed in offering an explanation as to why his name appears as a convener on the book or pamphlet titled ‘Bhima Koregaon Shauryadin Prerana Abhiyan’, which was printed prior to the programme on December 31, 2017. 

In its observation, the court said it did not find the accusation of Teltumbde’s involvement not “inherently improbable” or “wholly unbelievable”, and prima facie he was involved in furthering the activities of the banned organisation. The NIA had earlier claimed that Teltumbde was an active member of the proscribed group CPI(M) and propagated its activities.

For the non-profit organisation, prosecution of a person allegedly involved in furthering Maoist ideology and fuelling violence are grounds not legitimate enough to put him under arrest and charge him with hatching a conspiracy to disturb communal harmony of the country. 

Aasif Sultan

Journalists working in Jammu and Kashmir are often accused of helping terrorists in their nefarious schemes in the Valley and providing them with overground support by intellectualising and rationalising their terror activities. 

‘Journalist’ Aasif Sultan was arrested in Jammu and Kashmir in 2018 for similar offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or UAPA, a stringent anti-terror law. Sultan was arrested for harbouring known terrorists, and charged with murder, attempt to murder and other crimes.

In 2016, after Indian forces took down terrorist Burhan Wani, Sultan had published a report eulogising the terrorist, asserting that Wani was more dangerous for India “in his grave than in his living room.” Sultan was recently booked under the Public Safety Act after police said he worked for banned terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen. 

Fahad Shah

Fahad Shah, the Editor-in-chief of the online news magazine, ‘thekashmirwalla’, was arrested earlier this year for “glorifying terrorism, spreading fake news & inciting general public for creating law and order (L&O) situations.”

The journalist, accused of harbouring separatist mentality, was arrested for social media posts “tantamount to glorifying the terrorist activities and causing dent to the image of law enforcing agencies besides causing ill-will & disaffection against the country.”

Shah is infamous for his report that vilified the Indian Armed Forces, which accused a local army unit “of forcing an Islamic seminary school to hold Republic Day celebrations on January 26” in Shopian.

Avinash Palliwar and Madhukar Dubey

The next name on the RSF list of journalist imprisoned in India is of Avinash Palliwar, a journalist who was arrested by Raipur police in October 2021 on the basis of complaint filed by Congress leaders alleging that he was spreading misleading news.

Chhattisgarh is a Congress-ruled states where state leaders are known for demonstrating little tolerance to dissenting voices, often using flimsy charges to book and arrest journalist who are critical of the Congress party. 

Besides Palliwar, Chhattisgarh police also arrested Madhukar Dubey after a complaint filed against him by Congress MLAs Brihaspat Singh and Kuldeep Juneja who accused Dubey of extorting money through a news portal. 

Ajit Jha, Manoj Gupta and Digvijay Singh

Earlier this year, three journalists Ajit Jha, Manoj Gupta and Digvijay Singh were arrested in Uttar Pradesh for their alleged involvement in a paper leak case.

As per FIR filed in the case, the accused were charged under Indian Penal Code Sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property); Uttar Pradesh Public Examination Act, 1998 Sections 4 (unauthorised possession and disclosure of question papers), 5 (leakage by a person entrusted with examination work) and 10 (penalty for leakage); and Section 66B of the IT Act (dishonestly receiving stolen computer resource or communication device).

Interestingly, out of the 14 cases that RSF lists to downgrade India’s rating in press freedom index, 4 were arrested by Congress governments and others were Naxals and those harbouring terrorists, indulging in patently anti-India activities. While 2 of them were Naxals who the court refused to bail out, one is a member of Islamist outfit PFI, who was on his way to create communal disharmony.

Firstly, even though 4 of the 14 arrested were under Congress government, the RSF report categorically demonises Hindu Nationalists and the BJP government without even mentioning atrocities by Congress and other state governments like the TMC. As for the other cases, RSF seems to be batting for Naxals, Islamists and those who explicitly harbour terrorists and spread anti-India propaganda.

RSF further mentions 5 cases of death of journalists, on the basis of which they have downgraded India’s Press Freedom ranking. Let us dissect what those 5 cases were.

In 2021 and 2022, these are the 5 journalists killed in India according to RSF.

Journalists killed in 2021 and 2022 according to RSF

Just how motivated and biased RSF is, would be clear from a detailed overview of these details.

Sulabh Srivastava

Sulabh Srivastava died in Uttar Pradesh in June 2021. While the police was exploring all possible angles, including murder by the liquor mafia, the initial probe had indicated that he died due to an accident. The police had also said two hours before the accident, Sulabh was drinking with three journalist friends. “The statements of the three journalists who had drinks with Sulabh two hours before the incident are being recorded and will be corroborated with CDR and Field unit analysis,” he said, as reported by Indian Express.

Chenna Kesavulu

According to RSF’s own report:

“Chenna Kesavulu, a reporter for local TV channel EV5 in Nandyal, a city in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district, was rushed to a hospital with multiple stab wounds in the back on the evening of 8 August but was pronounced dead on arrival. Earlier that evening, Kesavulu had gone to meet with newly suspended police constable Venkata Subbaiah and his brother Nani at Subbaiah’s suggestion. But, instead of having a meeting, Kesavulu was attacked by Subbaiah, who stabbed him repeatedly with a screwdriver, especially in the back”.

It is pertinent to note that while RSF demonises BJP and Hindu Nationalists, Kesavulu’s murder happened in Andhra Pradesh, not under BJP at all.

Buddhinath Jha

According to a report in India Today, Jha was murdered as a result of a “love triangle”. The report reads:

According to the police, during interrogation, Purna Kala Devi confessed she was in love with Buddhinath Jha. However, one Pawan Kumar was in love with her.

“Pawan, who has been arrested, did not want Buddhinath Jha and Purna Kala Devi to talk to each other. Pawan used to put pressure on Purna Kala Devi to not talk to Buddhinath,” the police said. The police stated that Pawan Kumar and Roshan Kumar killed Buddhinath Jha for personal reasons.

Rohit Kumar Bansal

According to a report by RSF:

Biswal apparently trod on the IED as he went to photograph posters placed on trees urging voters to boycott local elections for “panchayats” (village councillors) due to be held on 16 and 28 February. Several local media said the device was probably left by members of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), which is waging a medium-intensity guerrilla insurrection in the region. Kalahandi police superintendent Sarwan Vivek said the device may have been planted there with the aim of targeting policemen when they went to tear down the posters.

Raman Kashyap

Raman Kashyap was killed in the Lakhimpur Kheri conflict where Khalistanis had lynched BJP workers and a car had allegedly run over some of the protesting “farmers”. In the case, UP minister’s son in the net for the incident where the car had run over the farmers. While one side says protesting farmers instigated the violent skirmishes by attacking the BJP convoy, the other side claims farmers were run down deliberately by a car. Amidst these recriminations, the grim reality is that 8 people lost their lives in the violent clashes.

The father of Kashyap had said that he was hit by the car, which caused his death.

In all the cases of death, there is no reason to categorically implicate the BJP government or Hindu nationalists, but RSF went ahead and did just that. Out of the 5 deaths, 1 was in Andhra Pradesh, 1 was an accident, 1 was due to a love triangle, 1 was due to CPIM implanted IED and 1 was allegedly due to being run over by a car where a minister’s son was involved. The last case is still sub-judice and RSF cannot pronounce a judgement on the same.

Despite this, RSF did not implicate the Jagan government in Andhra Pradesh or the Naxals, who they like to call rebels. They even clubbed together deaths that were caused due to personal enmity and accident to tarnish the BJP government and Hindu Nationalists as a bloc.

Out of the 14 cases where journalists were imprisoned and 5 cases where journalists had died, there is ample evidence that the government of India acted in the interest of the nation. RSF conveniently did not check their own database to question the Congress governments and added even instances of accidents etc to implicate Hindu Nationalists and downgrade India’s press freedom index, saying that journalists were not free only after the Modi government came into power.

Ayodhra Ram Mandir special coverage by OpIndia

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OpIndia Staffhttps://www.opindia.com
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