‘High-handed’: Mumbai Press Club slams Rahul Gandhi for saying journos are ‘slaves’ to owners

In the wake of Rahul Gandhi’s remark at an Amravati rally about journalists being “slaves of their owners,” the Mumbai Press Club has criticised the Congress leader for “high-handed attitude” and repeated “targeting of journalists”.

In a statement issued on X, the press body that Gandhi’s statement “cloaked in concern for the plight of journalists”, carried a tone of “condescension”. “The precarious conditions of journalists today stem largely from rampant contractualisation, driven in part by the neoliberal policies introduced by the Congress-led government in the late 1980s and early 1990s.”

In a rally at Amravati on November 16, Gandhi criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then turned to the media, saying that he has been advocating for “constitutional reforms, caste-based census, and breaking the 50 percent reservation ceiling,” but the media “refuses to show this reality because they are under their owners’ control”.

He further said, “Journalists need salaries to educate their children and fill their stomachs. To ensure this, they are forced to obey their bosses. In a way, they are slaves. I like them, but their circumstances bind them. This is why I don’t have a fight with them. They will never show what we do or say, but they will run Modi’s propaganda 24×7.”

The Mumbai Press Club said that Gandhi “should redirect his critique toward the media owners and the structural issues within the industry” and that it is “unrealistic to expect working journalists to rebel against the system at great personal risk”.

The press body said while it acknowledges “the immense challenges posed by the current government’s authoritarian tendencies toward the media”, it is equally concerned about Gandhi’s “repeated targeting of journalists”. “His rhetoric raises legitimate concerns about how his party might approach the press if it were to return to power.” 

Several X users, including journalists, also criticised Gandhi’s statements.

In times of misinformation, you need news you can trust. We’ve got you covered. Subscribe to Newslaundry and power our work.

Click here to power our election coverage.