Anurag Thakur slams NYT over 'propaganda' article; 'some foreign media nourishing grudge'

Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Anurag Thakur has slammed the New York Times for its "so-called" opinion piece on freedom of the press in Kashmir by calling it "mischievous and fictitious". Thakur said that the sole motive behind such articles being published is to "spread propaganda about India".

Taking to his Twitter, the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting said, "New York Times had long back dropped all pretensions of neutrality while publishing anything about India. NYT's so-called opinion piece on freedom of the press in Kashmir is mischievous & fictitious published with the sole motive to spread propaganda about India and its democratic institutions and values."

New York Times had long back dropped all pretensions of neutrality while publishing anything about India. NYT's so called opinion piece on freedom of press in Kashmir is mischievous & fictitious published w/ a sole motive to spread a propaganda about India…

1/n

— Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur)

"This is in continuation with what NYT and a few other link-minded foreign media have been spreading lies about India and our democratically elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji," Anurag Thakur said, adding that such lies can't last long.

'Some foreign media nourishing a grudge against India': Union Minister Anurag Thakur

The minister lambasted foreign media that systematically tries to "peddle lies about our democracy and pleuritic society"."Some foreign media nourishing a grudge against India and our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi have long been systematically trying to peddle lies about our democracy and pleuritic society. Freedom of the Press in India is as sacrosanct as other fundamental rights," he said in a series of tweets.

Taking the jibe at the Western media, he said that democracy in India and Indians are mature and that "we need to learn the grammar of democracy from such agenda-driven media"..

Democracy in India and We the people are very matured and we don't need to learn grammar of democracy from such agenda driven media. Blatant lies spread by NYT abt press freedom in Kashmir is condemnable.

— Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur)

"Indians will not allow such mindsets to run their decisive agenda on India soil," the BJP leader said in his tweet.

Notably, the NYT opinion piece alleged that PM Modi's "repressive media policies" are destroying the press in Kashmir, thus creating an "information vacuum" in the region. The article further attacks the Prime Minister of India stating that after 2014, Modi has "systematically debased India's democratic ideals".