Editors Guild cornered MEA on the defense of PM Modi not holding press conference, said- ‘Don’t give such superficial arguments’

New Delhi: The Editors Guild of India has expressed strong objection to the statement of an official of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) defending Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not holding a press conference. The journalists’ body said officials in high positions should avoid giving such “superficial arguments” as it adversely affects media independence and freedom of expression.

The Guild said in its statement that in a democracy, elected leaders are expected to answer public questions through independent media. Social media alone or one-way communication cannot be a substitute for open dialogue with journalists.

What was the whole matter?

In the press briefing of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs held during Prime Minister Modi’s recent visit to New Zealand, a local journalist had asked why the Prime Minister did not hold a press conference during this visit.

To this, External Affairs Ministry official Rudrendra Tandon said it was not his job to answer, but he defended the Prime Minister, saying that Modi “prefers to communicate directly with the public rather than through middlemen.” He also claimed that “Indian voters are predominantly rural and they prefer direct communication.”

What did the Editors Guild say?

The Editors Guild rejected this argument, saying that answering questions from citizens, both rural and urban, is part of democratic accountability.

The organization said that in all democratic countries of the world, elected leaders regularly face questions from journalists and answering questions without predetermined is considered an important part of the democratic system.

The guild also said that government officials should not make statements that appear to undermine press freedom and freedom of expression in India.

Questions were raised during foreign tour

During recent foreign tours, journalists from Norway, Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand had also publicly raised questions as to why Prime Minister Modi does not answer journalists’ questions in joint press conferences like other world leaders.

The opposition in India also criticized the government on this issue. Congress leaders Pawan Kheda and Supriya Srinet termed the statement of the Foreign Ministry official as against democratic values.

Also comment on India’s press freedom

In its statement, the Editors Guild said that media is the most important medium to demand accountability from the government on behalf of the public. The organization also reminded that India is ranked 157th out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index.