NBF condemns I.N.D.I.A. alliance's decision to boycott 14 news anchors

Reacting to the decision of the opposition I.N.D.I.A. alliance not to take part in the shows and events of 14 on the country’s top TV news anchors, the News Broadcasters Federation (NBF) called it a draconian order and a decision to crush free speech. Among these news anchors are Aman Chopra, Amish Devgan and Anand Narasimhan of News18; Chitra Tripathi and Sudhir Chaudhary of AajTak; Gaurav Sawant and Shiv Aroor of India Today; Prachi Parashar of India TV; Arnab Goswami of Republic Bharat; Rubika Liyaquat of Bharat 24; Navika Kumar and Sushant Sinha of Times Now Navbharat; Aditi Tyagi of Bharat Express; and Ashok Shrivastav of DD News. Incidentally, NBF is led by Arnab Goswami.

In a statement issued, the NBF vociferously condemned the "undemocratic, Emergency-era directive to boycott 14 select news anchors as part of an undemocratic institutionalised political decision to crush free speech and target the Indian media in a pre-election year". 

It affirmed, "The blanket decision to ban representation of I.N.D.I.A political alliance’s members on the on-air shows of 14 specific news anchors across broadcast networks in the country is an unprecedented attempt to muzzle the voice of the Indian media through intimidation and singling-out tactics. The I.N.D.I.A. political alliance’s order is clearly an attempt to censor the media in this great country, which prides on its wealthy history of free speech, thought and expression." 

The NBF further stated, "The statement that has been ascribed to the “I.N.D.I.A Media Committee” has unilaterally sounded the ushering of an Emergency-like mind-set once again. To make an institutional political decision against handpicked journalists of established stature is a clear and outright onslaught against free speech through systemic targeting of the media." 

It called the opposition alliance's decision a "blot on India’s democratic principles and a grave assault on Article 19 of the Indian Constitution for the pre-election political alliance I.N.D.I.A to be out rightly tinkering with the country’s rich history of being a free and vibrant press". 

The NBF wholly condemned this clear instance of political parties and alliances targeting of journalists across news networks a pre-election agenda. "We strongly urge the I.N.D.I.A Media Committee to revoke its draconian order with immediacy," the NBF stated.