Barkha gets chilling ‘veiled’ threats

Noted Indian journalist alleges attempts to intimidate and silence her

Award-winning Indian TV journalist Barkha Dutt on Thursday said that she had received chilling veiled threats and “messages” from certain quarters in the government. In a tweetstorm, Dutt alleged that she and her family were under surveillance — and efforts to smear and malign her were ongoing.

Strong warning

Formerly with NTDV, Barkha Dutt is presently a contributing columnist for The Washington Post and contributing editor for The Week. In one of her tweets she requested India’s Information and Broadcasting Minister, Rajyavardhan Rathore, to take note of the threats.

“Those who conveyed the message to me today said a big meeting was held on how to stop me and my projects. I was told tools will include tapping my phone, income tax cases, smear, surveillance. Was advised debugging and personal security and to not proceed with my new work,” the toprated anchor noted.

Threats to Dutt come close on the heels of the UN human rights experts calling on authorities in India to ‘protect’ another journalist, Rana Ayyub, who received death threats following an online hate campaign.

NDTV’s Ravish Kumar, among India’s finest news anchors, recently alleged that the frequency of death threats against him has increased manifold in the last few weeks.

Gauri Lankesh shooting

Last year, noted journalist Gauri Lankesh was shot dead outside her home in Bengaluru in South India. As per the Committee to Protect Journalists, between 1992 and 2018, around 47 journalists have lost their lives in India.

“I never thought the day would come when in my own country, I would be told to hire private security & get my house debugged. I suppose I should be ready for phone taps, IT cases, ED raids, death threats — the meeting held by those who wield power have said — Stop her work projects,” Barkha wrote on Twitter.

Barkha Dutt | TV journalist