National Herald employee under scanner for Maoist links

In a huge blow to the Congress, Vishwa Deepak who is a correspondent of the Congress mouthpiece National Herald is facing the heat for allegedly organising a meeting at the Press Club of India (PCI) in support of the convicted Maoist, G.N. Saibaba. Office secretary of the Press Club of India, Mr. Jitendra Singh has confirmed this development to OpIndia.

The OpIndia report adds that Mr. Jitendra talked about a complaint which has been made in a Maharashtra police station that a meeting had been organised in the PCI on a certain date and some of the attendees might have been Naxalites. The Police has been investigating details as to who booked the halls and it turns out that one hall was booked by Vishwa Deepak . Though there are no direct allegations against Mr.Deepak as of now but the police investigation is on process.

Mr. Singh confirmed that at present the focus of the police investigations is to find out whether Vishwa Deepak booked a hall where a press conference was held in support of the convicted Maoist G.N. Saibaba. As per the Opindia report, two meetings were held and it has been confirmed by the office secretary that out of the two meetings one was booked by Vishwa Deepak. He added that the press conference was on “social issues” and G.N. Saibaba might have been mentioned. However, he couldn’t confirm the same.

The Gandhi-family controlled organisation National Herald has already landed the Congress in trouble with BJP leader Subramanian Swamy discovering an alleged scam by the Gandhi family to gain control of Rs 5,000 crore assets owned by Associated Journals Limited (AJL). AJL also owns the National Herald.

National Herald has already landed Congress into allegations of financial impropriety and it seems that now the grand old party is going to face heat for alleged Maoist links. National Herald is almost a part of the Congress’ organisational structure and the way it is involved in pro-Congress propaganda is not hidden from anyone. Now, allegations of Maoist links against a journalist who is not only ideologically inclined towards the Congress but clearly works for the Congress, is definitely going to create further disenchantment towards an already waning Congress.

The Congress has already started to divert attention from the core issue by making the entire incident a “freedom of expression” issue. The Congress leader, Manish Tewari tweeted that National Herald journalist, Vishwa Deepak did some groundbreaking anti-establishment stories and that is why he is being hounded by the Pune police. He also urged the media fraternity to stand up. This is an old trick that the Congress pursues every time it lands into trouble. Whenever, any of their misdeeds are exposed they divert public attention by giving it a “free speech” twist. Manish Tewari’s request to the entire media fraternity to stand up is actually a message to the pro-Congress journalists to manipulate and hijack the narrative by vicious propaganda. It should be made clear that, Vishwa Deepak is not being investigated for any anti-establishment stories but for his alleged support to Maoist G.N Saibaba. It is pathetic how Tewari is twisting this serious allegations into a question of free press. If supporting convicted terrorists and Maoists is press freedom, then such freedom is of no use. The media should be fearless but it should also be independent and responsible. However, in the present scenario it seems that the Congress-owned mouthpiece is neither independent nor responsible.