Click to play videoMumbai: On Saturday Raj Thackeray appeared before cameras for the first time since his comments against North Indian migrants sparked off violence in Mumbai. He organised a press conference from which non-Marathi media was barred. As expected, his tirade against outsiders continued at the conference.
It's a first in the history of journalism in India that a reporter was denied entry into a press conference.
CNN-IBN reporters were also barred from entering the conference. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) worker looking after the security process there said he had orders from above to not let anyone enter without an invite.
These invites from Raj Thackeray were sent only to the Marathi media, barring entry to not only Hindi, but media of all other languages. It's Raj Thackeray’s latest salvo in the ongoing Maharashtrian vs. North Indian debate.
Earlier in the day Raj's article in a Marathi daily termed Hindi news organisations as the ‘bhaiyya media’ accusing them of taking a biased view of his fight for the Marathi manus.
“The media has forgotten the journalist in them. They've all become Hindi and are attacking me, my party and the Maharashtrians,” he was quoted as saying.
After his attempts to divide people on Mumbai's streets all of last week—MNS workers attacked North Indian taxi drivers and poor shopkeepers—the media is Raj's latest target as he continues to grab the headlines. He seems to have succeeded, though leaving the journalists an angry lot.
“It’s an unfortunate thing that Raj has done. This has never before has this happened,” senior journalist at Times of India S Balakrishnan said.
Experts say that the most surprising element is that a party like the MNS that is still really an infant in the world of politics has chosen to cold shoulder the media.
“Indira Gandhi, Kashi Ram, Bal Thackeray, all tried to suppress the media but they didn’t succeed. Raj Thackeray should know this and be careful,” Editor-in-Chief, IBN Lokmat Nikhil Wagle said.
By keeping the English and Hindi media out of the press briefing, Raj Thackeray has set a new dangerous precedent. For journalists who have lived in Mumbai and speak Marathi, it’s sad that media is being diving on language.
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