Rahul Gandhi made the remark during an election rally in Maharashtra's Nashik
The Mumbai Press Club has criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his "high-handed attitude towards working journalists" and said his repeated "targeting of journalists" raises concerns about "how his party might approach the press if it were to return to power".
The media body's strong remarks came after Mr Gandhi pointed to some reporters at an election rally in Maharashtra and called them "slaves of their owners". "It is not their fault. I like them. They have to work, draw salaries, fund their children's education, get food on the table, so they cannot do anything against their owners," he said.
The Mumbai Press Club said that the remarks were "cloaked in concern" for the plight of journalists, but his comments carried "a tone of condescension". It added that the working conditions of journalists today are a result of contractualisation partly driven by the policies of past Congress governments.
"Has Mr Gandhi ever reflected on the root causes of the challenges faced by working journalists in India and the state of journalism as a whole? The precarious conditions of journalists today stem largely from rampant contractualisation, driven in part by the neoliberal policies introduced by the Congress-led government in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Until then, journalists had fought for and secured significant rights, including unionization and better working conditions. Contractualisation, however, allowed monopoly media houses to sack journalists at will, weakening unions and leaving journalists vulnerable," it said in a post on X.
"If Mr. Gandhi truly wishes to address the plight of journalists, perhaps he should redirect his critique toward the media owners and the structural issues within the industry. The ever-present threat of dismissal, combined with an oversupply of unemployed and underemployed journalists, makes it unrealistic to expect working journalists to rebel against the system at great personal risk," the Mumbai Press Club added.
"While we acknowledge the immense challenges posed by the current government's authoritarian tendencies toward the media, it is equally concerning to witness Mr Gandhi's repeated targeting of journalists. His rhetoric raises legitimate concerns about how his party might approach the press if it were to return to power. If Prime Minister Narendra Modi is rightly criticised for avoiding open press conferences, Mr Gandhi's recurrent mockery and derision of journalists also deserve rebuke," it said.
The Mumbai Press Club, the statement said, has always stood against the violation of journalists' rights, whether by ruling parties, media owners, or other forces. "We, therefore, view the high-handed approach of the Leader of the Opposition toward working journalists as a matter of serious concern. Constructive dialogue and accountability, not dismissive remarks, are what the media-and democracy-deserve," it said.