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NEW DELHI: In a series of disgraceful incidents, especially in the so-called protests in the national capital, which should outrage every citizen who values a free press, supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and Congress-aligned protesters have once again shown their true colours: intolerance, cowardice and a toxic “agree with us or face the mob” mentality.
A viral video captured the shameful scene: NDTV journalist Tanushka Dutta, a young professional calmly doing her job on the ground, surrounded and subjected to personal remarks and continuous heckling by a group of protesters during a CJP demonstration in Delhi. One individual, hiding behind a mask and sunglasses, led the charge, the classic behaviour of those who lack the courage to show their faces while intimidating a woman reporter.
Dutta’s composure under pressure has rightly drawn praise from colleagues across the media. NDTV Managing Editor Shiv Aroor identified her as his “talented young colleague.” Senior editor Vishnu Som called the heckler a “definitive loser” and the act itself a form of violence.
Executive Editor Gaurie Dwivedi described the man as a “coward.” Author Aabhas Maldahiyar and others saluted her professionalism.
Yet the larger issue remains: this is not isolated. It is part of a pattern.
Senior NDTV journalist Vasudha Venugopal, widely regarded as one of the most professional and sober reporters in the field, faced sustained disruption, slogans and “Godi media” taunts while covering the Opposition’s anti-CEC protests and march.
Protesters repeatedly entered her frame and tried to derail her reporting. Fellow journalists across the spectrum, including Ajit Anjum, Rajdeep Sardesai and others, condemned the harassment as completely unacceptable.
This is not “passionate protest.” This is the deliberate targeting of journalists who refuse to become cheerleaders for the narrative. The same sections that endlessly lecture the country on free speech and democratic values suddenly discover that free speech is only for those who echo their talking points.
CJP and Congress supporters have repeatedly displayed this despicable behaviour toward reporters who do not kowtow to their agenda. From earlier Jantar Mantar protests where journalists were labelled “Godi media,” chased, and in some cases physically targeted, to the current round of personal abuse and intimidation, the message is clear: report what we want, or face the mob.
This is classic “My Way or the Highway” authoritarianism. It is the same mindset that treats disagreement as betrayal and independent reporting as an attack. Hiding behind masks while abusing women journalists is not bravery. It is the behaviour of political goons who know their cause cannot withstand scrutiny.
Journalists on the ground, whether from NDTV or any other outlet, have the right to report without being surrounded, abused or intimidated. The right to protest does not include the right to harass the press. Those who claim to fight for democracy while practising this brand of street-level bullying are exposing themselves as hypocrites.
Tanushka Dutta and Vasudha Venugopal deserve full support and protection. The masked hecklers and slogan-shouting cadres deserve condemnation without qualification. India’s democracy does not need this brand of intolerant, face-covering thuggery. It needs the courage to let journalists do their jobs, even when the story is inconvenient.
