The Mumbai Press Club, on Saturday (March 25), slammed former Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for reportedly snubbing a journalist during a press conference at his party office in Delhi. Gandhi had reportedly called the journalist a 'BJP worker'. At the press conference, the journalist asked Gandhi a question after which he said, "Why are you directly working for BJP? If you want to work for BJP, then wear a BJP badge. Don’t pretend to be a pressman… Kyun hawa nikal gayi?"
The Mumbai Press Club issued a statement on the incident and stated, "Mr Gandhi failed to respect the dignity of the Fourth Estate."Its statement read, "The job of a journalist is to ask questions and it is the duty of political leaders who call press conferences and engage with journalists to answer these questions with dignity and decorum. It is unfortunate that as the leader of one of the oldest political parties of the country, Mr Gandhi failed to respect the dignity of the Fourth Estate."
"At a broader level, it is a matter of concern that political parties of all hues have been attempting to browbeat journalists using derogatory language and threats as a response to news reporting they find unpalatable. We once again appeal to all political actors to uphold the freedom of the press to report and provide critical comments. They must remember the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression is a cornerstone of our democracy," it further read.Rahul Gandhi held a press conference in New Delhi on March 25, a day after he was disqualified from Parliament following his conviction in a defamation case.