Pathanamthitta – Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan made a veiled attack on the central government for allegedly stifling the voice of the media in the country while reacting to the news reports that BBC’s Indian newsroom has ceased operations.
Pinarayi Vijayan has alleged that the Sangh Parivar is relentlessly targeting those outlets that do not sing praises for the regime. “Media freedom has disappeared under the BJP rule, with the Sangh Parivar relentlessly targeting media outlets that do not sing praises for the regime. The BBC’s ordeal serves as a stark reminder that this election is an opportunity to address and resolve such issues,” Vijayan said.
He further stated that authoritarian regimes always try to control the media and the reminiscent symptoms of India’s Emergency era are resurfacing under BJP rule. The UK-based BBC had recently restructured its operations in India to comply with the country’s foreign investment rules.
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“According to a 2023 report by the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders, India’s press freedom ranking dropped from 150 to 161 out of 180 countries,” the senior Left leader said. He said the nation witnesses the relentless targeting of journalists who dare to report against the Sangh Parivar.
Earlier addressing the media in Alappuzha, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the Left will not allow the communal politics of the BJP to take root in the state and ensure that the saffron party does not win a single seat in the Lok Sabha polls. CM Vijayan said that the Left will overcome the challenges posed by the Sangh Parivar to the nation and its people and will work towards ousting them from power.
“We are contesting this election intending to bring down the BJP from power and that’s why we have actively joined the anti-BJP front at the national level. We would like to make one thing clear. The BJP will not only face defeat in all 20 seats, they will even fail to secure the second position in any constituency this time,” the CM said on Saturday. He further added that this election will decide the future of the country and there is no point in voting for the Congress party.
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