New Delhi, May 16: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Friday described the detention of Gujarat Samachar co-founder Bahubali Shah as a “conspiracy to suppress the voice of democracy.”
He asserted that India would be governed not by fear or force, but by truth and the Constitution.
“The country will neither be run by sticks nor by fear – India will be run by truth and the Constitution,” Gandhi wrote on X.
He condemned what he called the targeting of independent media, stating that efforts to shut down newspapers holding those in power accountable were signs that democracy is under threat. Gandhi argued that Shah's detention exemplifies the "politics of fear" that, according to him, defines the Modi government.
“The attempt to silence Gujarat Samachar is not just about muzzling one newspaper – it’s a larger conspiracy to suppress the voice of an entire democracy,” he said. “When media that questions power is shut down, it signals that democracy is in danger.”
He added, “Bahubali Shah’s detention is a part of this fear-driven political strategy that has become the hallmark of the Modi government.”
Echoing these concerns, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal also criticized Shah’s detention, which followed recent raids by the Income Tax Department and Enforcement Directorate on Gujarat Samachar and GSTV.
Kejriwal dismissed the events as anything but coincidental, claiming they reflect the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) desire to silence dissent.
“The IT and ED raids on Gujarat Samachar and GSTV in the past 48 hours, followed by the arrest of Bahubali Bhai Shah, clearly show the BJP’s frustration. This is not a coincidence,” Kejriwal posted on X. “This is an attempt to crush every voice that dares to speak the truth or question the government.”
He added that Gujarat would soon respond to this "dictatorship."
