In a move reeking of insecurity and hypocrisy, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav targeted Dainik Jagran, accusing the reputed Hindi daily of being a “mouthpiece of the BJP.” At a press conference in Lucknow, he urged party workers to stop reading, buying, and promoting the newspaper. While the former Chief Minister tried to mask this as a call for media accountability, the reality is far grimmer, it is a textbook case of undermining journalistic freedom simply because the media outlet doesn’t sing his tune.
“मैं अपने सभी समाजवादी साथियों से अपील करूंगा की दैनिक जागरण को पढ़ना बंद कर दें खरीदना बंद कर दें उनके कारोबार से खुद को दूर कर लें” – अखिलेश यादव pic.twitter.com/uR5jcPUjgK
— Saurabh (@sauravyadav1133) April 7, 2025
Akhilesh Yadav’s selective outrage reveals his discomfort with critical coverage, something every political leader must learn to stomach in a democracy. A free press is not supposed to act as a party pamphlet; it is meant to question, challenge, and scrutinize, even if that means highlighting uncomfortable truths. The moment politicians start deciding which media houses people should or shouldn’t engage with, they begin walking down an authoritarian path no different from regimes they love to criticize.
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For someone who claims to be socialist and champion the cause of democracy, Akhilesh Yadav’s move smacks of intolerance. The irony couldn’t be starker while pointing fingers at others for controlling the media, when he himself is attempting to delegitimize and boycott an independent newspaper with mass readership, simply because it doesn’t suit his narrative.
But Akhilesh Yadav isn’t alone in this selective muzzling of the press. Across the aisle, Congress, the self-proclaimed guardian of democracy has exposed its authoritarian face multiple times. Telangana CM Revanth Reddy’s threats to publicly shame and strip journalists who criticize him is not just medieval in tone, but disgraceful in a democratic setup. Arresting two female YouTubers for airing a farmer’s grievances under Congress rule proves yet again that when the Opposition governs, the press becomes an enemy to be silenced, not a pillar to be respected.
The double standards are nauseating. When the media highlights corruption, inefficiency, or law-and-order failures in non-BJP ruled states, it’s labeled “paid news.” But the moment it questions the Centre, it suddenly becomes the torchbearer of “freedom of expression.” This cherry-picking is not just disingenuous; it’s dangerous. If Akhilesh Yadav and the Opposition truly believe in press freedom, they must learn to accept criticism with grace, not threats. Democracy is not only about winning elections, it is about respecting dissent, even when it is directed at you. Silencing journalists through coercion, intimidation, or public boycott campaigns is nothing short of an attack on the very democratic values they claim to protect.
Incidentally, just a few days ago, the opposition ecosystem had been rallying behind alleged stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra, defending him over his slur-laced joke directed at a Maharashtra politician. They argued that pursuing legal action against Kamra amounted to a chilling warning to free speech and artists. Some even claimed that “hurt sentiment” cannot be a valid basis to persecute someone or curb a citizen’s fundamental right to free speech.
However, the same Kamra brigade and free speech activists—who had been sermonizing about growing intolerance from one side of the spectrum—have conspicuously gone into hiding this time, as the tyrannical voice of power comes from their own corner.
