I.N.D.I.A. bloc won't allow any Bill silencing media to be passed in Parliament: Samajwadi Party MP

New Delhi: The I.N.D.I.A. bloc will not allow the government to pass any Bill in Parliament which may try to "silence" the media, Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav said on Wednesday.

Yadav made the remarks in an apparent reference to the controversial Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2024.

Speaking at an event here, the Azamgarh MP said media is the fourth pillar of democracy and is facing serious challenges.

"They are trying to silence the media to hide their own flaws. They're making new laws," Yadav said.

The draft of Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, circulated by the government among a few stakeholders recently, drew criticism from media bodies. The government later said it will hold further consultations for preparing a fresh draft of the broadcasting bill.

"The mandate that people have given to the opposition, I assure you on behalf of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc that any law silencing the media will not be allowed to pass in Parliament," Yadav said.

Speaking at the event, former chief election commissioner S Y Quraishi said that India ranks 159 in 180 nations in the press freedom index, and expressed concerns over it .

"You will be sad to hear that among 180 countries, we are at 159 on press freedom index... It is really a serious issue that we are so far behind in press freedom," he said.

Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said India also ranks low on the index on safety of journalists.

"More alarming, the same foundation publishes the Security of Journalists Index...a world index measuring the security of journalists in the working ecosystem. That figure is more alarming. India is at 172 out of 180," he said.

In 2024, India ranked 159 among 180 countries in the latest annual World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders, an international non-profit organization.