An Urdu daily in Telangana has published a blank editorial in protest against what it claims is the freezing of government advertisement by the Congress government led by Revanth Reddy. With the move reminiscent of Emergency imposed by the Indira Gandhi government in the ’70s, The Munsif Daily claimed the government was punishing it for its reportage that focussed on its shortcomings.
A Congress spokesperson told NDTV that the government had reduced spending on newspaper advertisements and that it was a prerogative of the government who they want to support.
“The newspaper has exposed incidents of communal unrest that have taken place since the Congress government came to power, highlighting police failures and the state’s inaction. It has reported on the demolition of an abandoned mosque in Chilkur, the removal of the dupatta from minority schoolgirls’ uniforms, and the government’s failure to protect Waqf properties. Munsif has also raised delayed salaries of imams and muezzins, non-payment of stipends for divorced women, and the Congress’s failure to include a Muslim representative in the Telangana cabinet-just as it had criticized the Modi government for the same,” read a statement by Ather Moin, the newspaper’s Executive Editor.
“If the Revanth government expects us to convince our readers that Telangana has turned into a land of milk and honey under Congress rule, then that is something we cannot do. Instead, we shall continue to ask: Why have lands turned barren? Why has starvation forced the poor to the brink? Why have helpless daughters been violated?” the statement read.
The daily has also targetted Congress’s Rahul Gandhi, pointing to his statement in Washington in June 2023, where he said, “Freedom of the press is under threat in India, and the world can see it. A free press is vital to a functioning democracy, and everyone should be prepared to accept criticism.”
“Nearly every Urdu newspaper in the country has criticized the Modi government, yet not a single one has had its central government ads revoked. In contrast, Revanth’s Congress government has chosen to punish Munsif for speaking the truth,” the statement read.
“In 1975, Indira Gandhi tried to silence the press-and failed. Today, her party is repeating history. But let it be known: The pen is still mightier than the sword. Journalism in India will not be silenced,” it added.