ISLAMABAD Sep 15 (Online): Indian opposition parties have pledged to boycott several television news anchors they accuse of spreading hate and of partisanship towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s Hindu nationalist government.<\/p>\n
Activists and rights groups have sounded the alarm on press freedoms since Modi\u2019s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took office in 2014.
\nOpposition politicians have accused India\u2019s clamorous cable news shows of being in thrall to the BJP\u2019s agenda, including polarising segments on Muslim and Christian minorities.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do not want to legitimise this hate-filled narrative which is corroding our society,\u201d Congress party spokesman Pawan Khera said in a Thursday video statement.
\n\u201cWe will not partake in these showrooms of hate.\u201d
\nCongress is in an alliance of more than two dozen parties that are hoping to provide a unified alternative to the BJP ahead of national elections next year.<\/p>\n
Modi\u2019s party is widely expected to win.
\nThe opposition bloc said its members would not appear on the programmes of 14 anchors, including some of India\u2019s most popular TV news personalities.
\nRaucous and combative debate programmes are a staple of Indian cable news, with sometimes a dozen or more panellists battling onscreen for a sliver of attention.<\/p>\n
Opposition parties have long accused networks of failing to adhere to basic standards of impartiality and of unfairly casting their activities in a negative light.<\/p>\n
Sudhir Chaudhary of broadcaster Aaj Tak, one of those named in the boycott, ridiculed the alliance for lashing out at hosts who \u201crefused to lick their boots\u201d.
\nBut he also cautioned that the refusal of opposition lawmakers to face critical questions had put news outlets in a \u201cdangerous situation\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIndian media should now respond to this with full force and unity,\u201d he added.
\nSince Modi took office, India has slipped 21 places in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) global press freedom ranking and is now 161st out of 180 surveyed countries.<\/p>\n
Journalists who do report critically on the government often find themselves behind bars and hounded on social media by supporters of the BJP, which has established itself as India\u2019s dominant political force by championing Hindu identity.<\/p>\n
Indian tycoon Gautam Adani, a long-time associate of the prime minister, last year secured a majority stake in broadcaster NDTV, until then seen as the last major critical voice on television.<\/p>\n
RSF described the takeover as signalling \u201cthe end of pluralism in the mainstream media\u201d.
\nAmit Malviya, a politician in charge of the BJP\u2019s social media outreach, said the boycott reflected positively on the anchors it targeted.
\n\u201cThey should wear it as a badge of honour,\u201d Malviya posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
\n\u201cMore power to them. \u201c<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD Sep 15 (Online): Indian opposition parties have pledged to boycott several television news anchors they accuse of spreading hate and of partisanship towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s Hindu nationalist government. Activists and rights groups have sounded the alarm on press freedoms since Modi\u2019s Bharatiya […]<\/p>\n
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