Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K.S. Alagiri on Monday charged the BJP with threatening media houses in the State to toe its line.

The social media attacks on television anchors of prominent news channels was to slander them on a personal level and make them fall in line with their views, he charged. “The BJP is replicating the strategy used against certain channels in Delhi and is trying to take revenge on media houses in Tamil Nadu. The party is not capable of putting forth views on questions posed by anchors on television debates. Instead, they are now creating a smokescreen that the anchors are biased against them,” he said in a statement. He added media houses were now facing severe pressure and threats.

“Some on social media are spreading false and vile messages to create hatred against the anchors. The BJP is giving autocratic orders that TV news channels should only debate certain topics and call only certain people for the debates.”

Mr. Alagiri said the news industry was facing never before seen attacks on them. “The BJP is targeting certain anchors and indulging in slander against them,” he said. He further said that certain TV channels owned by corporates were bowing down to the whims and fancies of the BJP’s diktats.

He further charged that “the BJP is now plotting against more journalists. All media houses are now operating with fear. The Secular Progressive Alliance must come together and take some strong decisions against this undemocratic functioning of the BJP that is stifling freedom of speech”.