Modi supporters intimidating Delhi journalist, alleges Congress

New Delhi: The Congress today alleged that supporters of Modi and RSS have been intimidating a senior journalist of The Hindu, Vidya Subrahmaniam, after she wrote an article on how RSS backed out of its assurance given to India's first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in 1948. Congress general secretary and head of media wing Ajay Maken today wrote a letter to Home Minister Sushil Shinde demanding action on the lady journalist's complaint. Shinde promptly ordered an inquiry.Ajay Maken told a press conference that the journalist had filed a complaint at Parliament Street police station on October 15 saying she had been getting threats from RSS and VHP supporters on phone after her article was published in The Hindu. She had written that the RSS had reneged on its written undertaking to the then Home Minister Sardar Patel that it would not be a political organisation.“I have directed the Home Secretary to conduct a probe through the Delhi Police. The Home Secretary has already asked the Delhi Police to initiate the probe,” Sushilkumar Shinde said.Shinde said in democracy people should have the perseverance to bear criticism and threats are not good.There could be comments but attacking journalists are not good.Seeking to draw parallels, Maken said journalists write many pieces against Congress and its leaders as well, which are not to the liking of the party but that never led to the party attacking or attempting to check their freedom of expression. Maken attacked Modi on various other issues. He said that there is a provision in the Gujarat's Lokayukta bill that no newsperson can report the proceedings of Lokayukta and those doing so could be punished with a penalty of Rs two lakh and an imprisonment of one year.Seeking to portray Modi as an “intolerant” politician, he said no assembly session in Gujarat is complete without throwing Opposition MLAs out of the House.There are vacancies in Information Commission in Gujarat, where posts have not been filled up despite court intervention and Gujarat CAG report was not discussed in Assembly.”On the one hand, the Gujarat Chief Minister is laying the foundation stone for the statue of Sardar Patel and on the other hand, Modi, his party workers and RSS activists are attacking the basic foundation of the nation.”Many times one feels if they mount such attacks on the reedom of expression when they are in opposition, what will they do in case they get power. When they install the statue of Patel, they should also learn to follow Patel's ideals,” Maken said.”The Congress Party is committed to freedom of the Press, dominance of truth in public discourse and non-violence. Bringing the episode to a speedy and logical conclusion will only be in line with our professed principles”, Maken said.Responding to reporters' queries on Modi's speech accusing Congress of doing vote bank politics, Maken hit back saying “it's BJP, which does it. They have been engaging inthis majority vote bank politics since independence, something which was Patel opposed to. Patel was of the clear view that BJP was vitiating the atmosphere.”

Modi supporters intimidating Delhi journalist, alleges Congress

New Delhi: The Congress today alleged that supporters of Modi and RSS have been intimidating a senior journalist of The Hindu, Vidya Subrahmaniam, after she wrote an article on how RSS backed out of its

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