‘This must be reversed’, Editors Guild criticises Rahul Gandhi for his attack on Modi interview

New Delhi, Jan 4: "This must be reversed" is what the Editors Guild of India said condemning Congress president Rahul Gandhi's words criticising ANI editor-in-chief Smita Prakash for her interview of Prime Minister Narendra Modi which was aired on the evening of January 1.

On Thursday, January 3, the guild came out with a statement criticising Rahul Gandhi saying: "The Editors Guild of India has noted with concern the words used by Congress President Rahul Gandhi in his criticism of ANI Editor-in-Chief Smita Prakash who interviewed Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week."

The Editors Guild of India has issued a statement. pic.twitter.com/XJ8OAylXxx

— Editors Guild of India (@IndEditorsGuild) January 3, 2019

It also said that journalists can be subjected to "healthy and civilised criticism" but alleged that it has become a "favourite tactic" for the establishment to "discredit, delegitimise and intimidate" them.

"This must be reversed," it said.

Dear Mr Rahul Gandhi, cheap shot at your press conference to attack me. I was asking questions not answering. You want to attack Mr Modi, go ahead but downright absurd to ridicule me. Not expected of a president of the oldest political party in the country.

— Smita Prakash (@smitaprakash) January 2, 2019

Gandhi called Modi's interview as "staged" and Prakash as a "pliable journalist", inviting criticism from the BJP, the National Union of Journalists as well as Prakash herself who described his criticism of her as "cheap shot". The BJP said that Emergency was in Gandhi's DNA and that the Congress party "has a history of throttling journalism".

Gandhi had said in Parliament" "...The entire nation is asking why the Prime Minister can speak for one-and-a-half hour in a staged interview and not answer the fundamental questions of Rafale."