At a general press meet at the Qaid-E-Millat International Academy of Media Studies in Chennai, Jignesh Mevani hesitated to speak to the media, as Republic TV was present and asked for the channel’s microphone to be removed.
On Tuesday, journalists from other media channels boycotted Jignesh Mevani’s press meet, as a token of showing their solidarity towards the Republic TV reporter.
When the youth leader asked to remove the microphone of Republic TV and said he won’t speak to the channel, journalists from other channels tried to explain to Jignesh that it’s a general press meet and not an exclusive interview as such.
Jignesh was reluctant to speak unless the Republic TV’s mic was removed. That’s when Shabbir Ahmed, a journalist from Times Now asked him to not to dictate terms to them and said that there was no need of a press conference.
The Gujarat MLA’s attitude towards media this time was absolutely bizarre. He, as an elected MLA from Gujarat, does not have any right to ask a media channel not to be present at a press conference.
Soon after this incident happened, many journalists across the country supported this move by the Chennai journalists.
Chandra R Srikanth, the South Bureau chief of ET Now, tweeted, “Dear Chennai media, thanks for standing united against Jignesh Mevani. High time that activists and politicians stop dictating terms at press conferences, selectively humiliating field reporters for the supposed sins of their masters.”
Dear Chennai media, thanks for standing united against Jignesh Mevani. High time that activists and politicians stop dictating terms at press conferences, selectively humiliating field reporters for the supposed sins of their masters. @Ahmedshabbir20 @dhanyarajendran https://t.co/vzxlC9Vdt0
— Chandra R. Srikanth (@chandrarsrikant) January 16, 2018
Padmaja Joshi, a senior journalist of India Today, also tweeted, “Immense respect for everyone who was party to this decision. #InSolidarity.”
Immense respect for everyone who was party to this decision. #InSolidarity https://t.co/lBOcpqOyr5
— Padmaja Joshi (@PadmajaJoshi) January 16, 2018
Pooja Prasanna, Republic TV’s South Bureau chief, thanked her fellow journalists. She tweeted, “So proud of #Chennai journos today-they boycotted #JigneshMevani because he was being choosy abt which media he will speak to lesson to all journos across the country.”
#JigneshMevani refuses to speak @republic in #Chennai. Rest of the media shows the way, boycotts him. Great unity shown by media. @Ahmedshabbir20 @Mugilan__C @Lokpria @Priyamvathap @imanojprabakar @Akshayanath @sanjusadagopan
— Pooja Prasanna (@PoojaPrasanna4) January 16, 2018
This move by the Chennai journalists is certainly appreciable, and they are indeed setting an example to the others as well.