The recent deletion of an article by India Today – Congress High Command to skip Karnataka Global Investors Meet over Invitation Row — one that dared to question the Congress party’s inflated egos and their prioritization of political vendettas over national interest—has once again exposed the media house’s abject servility to the Gandhis. Instead of standing by its reporting, India Today shamelessly erased it, bowing down to the masters at 10 Janpath. This spineless act underscores how the organization, which claims journalistic integrity, bends over backward to appease the Congress elite.
A Pattern of Muzzling Journalists
This is not the first time India Today has faced the wrath of Congress leaders for daring to step out of line. The party has a long and sordid history of stifling voices within the media, even among those who are otherwise sympathetic to their cause. Rahul Kanwal, one of India Today’s prominent journalists, was once banned and threatened by the Congress for his reporting. Instead of standing by their journalist, the network chose silence—an implicit submission to the Gandhis’ authoritarian hold over the press.
Similarly, Randeep Singh Surjewala, a close aide of Rahul Gandhi, publicly expressed his discontent with India Today’s senior journalist Shiv Aroor. Rather than taking a stand against this brazen interference, the organization once again maintained a stoic silence. This disturbing pattern reveals that India Today is more concerned with preserving its access to Congress’s inner circles than defending the freedom of its own journalists.
The Deafening Silence of the Puries
One would expect the owners of a reputed media house to stand firm in the face of political bullying, but the Puries—the family that controls India Today—have conveniently chosen to remain silent. Their refusal to defend their own journalists against Congress’s intimidation speaks volumes about where their loyalties lie. Instead of upholding journalistic integrity, they have seemingly aligned themselves with the Gandhis, sacrificing credibility for proximity to power.
Congress’s Tight Grip on the Media
The Congress party, despite its dwindling political fortunes, still enjoys disproportionate influence over sections of the media. While they cry foul about “press freedom” under other regimes, they have historically been the biggest suppressors of journalistic independence. Whether it was the Emergency, their notorious control over the mainstream narrative, or their intolerance toward critical reporting, the Congress has always treated the media as an extension of its propaganda machinery.
How Indira Gandhi led Congress Government muzzled Media during Emergency
This latest incident with India Today is just another example of how the Congress’s ecosystem works. The party ensures that even a mild criticism from within its friendly media circles is swiftly dealt with—either through pressure, public humiliation, or covert censorship. And, as always, the so-called journalists who boast about speaking truth to power are nowhere to be seen when the Gandhis are involved.
Final Thoughts
The selective silence of India Today in the face of Congress’s bullying should serve as a reminder of the deep-rooted nexus between sections of the media and the party. When even their own journalists are thrown under the bus to appease the Congress, one must question whether this is a news organization or a public relations wing of the Gandhi family.
While the Congress continues its long-standing tradition of muzzling dissent, India Today seems content playing the role of an obedient lapdog, forever at the service of its masters at 10 Janpath.
