The Munsif Daily Protests Ad Freeze, Cites Press Freedom Concerns

Hyderabad: The Munsif Daily, an Urdu newspaper based in Telangana, has published a blank editorial as a protest against the state government's alleged decision to freeze government advertisements. The publication claims this move is a direct response to its critical reporting on the government's shortcomings.

Drawing a comparison to the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi in the 1970s, the newspaper accused the Congress-led government, under Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, of attempting to curtail press freedom. A Congress spokesperson, however, responded to the accusation by stating that the government had simply reduced its spending on newspaper advertisements, asserting that it was the government's right to decide where to allocate its resources.

In a statement, Munsif's Executive Editor, Ather Moin, explained that the paper's coverage had focused on issues such as communal unrest, police failures, and government inaction. The newspaper highlighted incidents like the demolition of a mosque in Chilkur, the removal of headscarves from schoolgirls' uniforms, and the government's inability to protect Waqf properties. It also reported on delays in salaries for imams and muezzins, non-payment of stipends to widowed women, and the absence of a Muslim representative in the state cabinet.

Munsif's statement expressed its refusal to paint an overly positive picture of the state's condition under Congress rule. It raised questions about the increasing poverty, the lack of opportunities, and rising violence. "If the Revanth government expects us to portray Telangana as a paradise under Congress rule, we cannot comply," the statement said. "Instead, we will continue to ask: Why are lands barren? Why is hunger driving the poor to despair? Why are vulnerable daughters being violated?"

The editorial also took aim at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, referencing his 2023 statement in Washington about the threat to press freedom in India. It noted that while several Urdu newspapers had criticized the Modi government without facing the withdrawal of advertisements, the Telangana government seemed to be retaliating against Munsif for its critical stance.

The statement concluded with a reference to Indira Gandhi's attempt to suppress the press in 1975, asserting that her party's actions today were repeating history. "But let it be known," it said, "the pen is still mightier than the sword. Journalism in India will not be silenced."