New Delhi, August 23 (IANS) A revealing account has emerged highlighting challenges to media freedom during the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) era. A senior journalist and former Rajya Sabha member, Shahid Siddiqui, recounted how a prominent Congress leader allegedly tried to suppress an interview with the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

Sharing his experience during an event, Siddiqui said Congress leader Ahmed Patel, who is now no more, paid a late-night visit under the guise of sharing kebabs but carried a clear political message: “You have interviewed Narendra Modi. This interview should not be published.”

When the journalist stood firm on editorial independence and the public’s right to know, he was reminded of his political ambitions with the words, “You have to go to the Rajya Sabha also.”

Despite the warning, the interview was published in an Urdu weekly, sparking widespread discussion. Siddiqui soon faced severe consequences, including a swift expulsion from his political party within hours.

Though he initially did not take the warning seriously, the fallout was immediate and significant.

A clip of the interview with Siddiqui is viral on social media. It has sparked a debate across the political spectrum, highlighting how media control was exercised during that (UPA) period, reflecting the intense pressure faced by journalists.

The incident narrated in the viral video clip spotlights what is described as a pattern of intimidation by Congress leaders towards journalists who refused to toe the party line.

“They used to reach journalists’ homes even at midnight,” he said in the video.

The interview with Gujarat Chief Minister Modi, which Siddiqui said was intended to challenge and expose the Gujarat leader, instead became a flashpoint for political retaliation.

Political observers say that those raising concerns about journalistic freedom today should revisit the UPA era, when the media was under quiet but firm control.

Journalists faced midnight visits, veiled threats, and political consequences for publishing dissenting views as disclosed in the viral video.

–IANS

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