Photo: IANS
The Editors Guild of India (EGI) has criticised remarks by a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official defending Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision not to hold unscripted press conferences during his domestic and overseas visits, calling the explanation "deeply flawed" and describing the comments as "glib platitudes".
In a statement issued on July 16 and signed by EGI president Sanjay Kapoor, general secretary Raghavan Srinivasan and treasurer Teresa Rehman, the guild said that in a democracy, elected leaders must remain accountable to the public through an independent media.
The criticism came after a senior MEA official, speaking at a media briefing in New Zealand on July 10, said Modi preferred communicating directly with voters rather than through "intermediaries". The official also argued that Indian voters, particularly those in rural areas, favoured direct communication over mediated interactions, The Wire reported.
Rejecting the explanation, the Editors Guild said one-way communication, including through social media, could not replace engagement with independent journalists. It added that elected representatives are expected to answer questions from both urban and rural citizens on important political and economic issues.
The guild also referred to the Prime Minister's silence on the energy crisis arising from the conflict in West Asia, saying he had been reluctant to share his views on the issue through any form of media.
Warning against remarks that undermine press freedom, the EGI urged public officials to avoid statements that could have a chilling effect on free speech and media independence.
During Modi's visits to New Zealand, Australia and several European countries, sections of the local media highlighted his continued avoidance of press conferences, noting that his engagements largely consisted of tightly managed public appearances. Journalists in Norway and the Netherlands publicly questioned why Modi did not take questions alongside other world leaders.
Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng welcomed the renewed international attention to the issue, saying it was encouraging to see foreign journalists continue raising concerns about press freedom in India. She said reporters from countries with strong traditions of press freedom had a responsibility to ask such questions when world leaders visited.
The MEA official's remarks also drew criticism from opposition leaders. Congress leader Pawan Khera said the explanation was not democratically defensible, while Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate alleged that it reduced Indian media to a "joke".
In Australia, Sky News also questioned the large diaspora event organised for Modi in Melbourne, describing it as "not diplomacy, but politics". The coverage drew comparisons with the 2019 "Howdy Modi" event in Houston, where Modi publicly endorsed then US President Donald Trump's re-election campaign, an episode that had attracted criticism for entering another country's domestic political arena.