‘Modi Chalisa’ at Press Club of India bodes ill for the institution of the Press
Syed Ali Mujtaba
- An event at the Press Club of India in New Delhi where a cutout of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was worshiped has stirred a hornet’s nest. This event, where Prime Minister Modi is depicted as Lord Ram and being worshipped, was captured live on video cameras.
- On the Press Club premises, participants recited ‘Modi Chalisa’. The videos show four to five people performing an aarti before the cutout of the Prime Minister, who is holding a bow in his hand, a replica of Maryada Purushottam Ram.
Participants at the event were seen reciting the ‘Bhagwan Shri Narendra Modi Chalisa’ and chanting slogans such as, “Jai, Jai Modi, Har, Har Modi.” A banner at the venue also read “Bhagwan Shri Narendra Modi Chalisa.”
This image of Lord Ram sent a clear message to viewers that it will henceforth be worshiped across India.
The Bihar State Transgender Welfare Board had organized this event. Its vice-president, Rajan Singh, says the event was organized to announce the construction of a temple dedicated to “Lord Shri Narendra Modi ji” in Bihar. He reasoned that the temple is planned because Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ensured that he will protect the rights and opportunities of the transgender community.
Criticism about the Press Club’s credibility being eroded spread thick and fast on social media. Thismade the Press Club of India issue a clarification: “that the hall was hired by an organization for holding a press conference, but when the terms for renting out the place were violated, the Club authorities immediately intervened and stopped the event."
Notwithstanding, the fact remains that such clarification does not assuage the sentiments of those who hold the Press Club as the fourth pillar of Indian democracy that is meant to air the voices fighting for constitutional values.
Certainly, by this act of omission or commission, the credibility of the Press Club of India has eroded considerably. The charge is that the Press Club, instead of opposing the government’s ambition to turn India into a Hindu state, is providing a platform to forces that espouse such a cause.
Certainly, the Press Club’s answer does not satisfy the public trust. It has lost its rationalist and socialist values by providing a platform to such fringe elements. It’s seen as a platform to air a Hindu communal agenda.
Public Interest litigation is warranted against the Press Club, and its authorities should be questioned as to why this body, claiming to be the guardian of the press, is indulging in anti-constitutional activity.
This is not the first time Press Club premises are used to spread communal Hindu religious ideas. One such person whom I have stumbled upon is Pushpendra Kulshreshtha (PK), who used the Press Club of India premises to spread hate against Indian Muslims and Islam.
He was Bureau Chief of Pakistan’s Aaj TV news in New Delhi. It’s due to that ID PK got himself elected as general secretary of the Press Club of India not once but thrice. It was in his third term, in 2009, that he was caught doing financial irregularities with the Press Club. At an extraordinary general body meeting where over 200 members of the Press Club attended the EGM, the Hindu chauvinist was disgracefully removed.
PK, during his tenure as an office bearer of the Press Club of India, addressed the RSS gathering where his speeches were full of wild allegations against Muslims and Islam. His speeches were couched with lies, unsubstantiated facts, defamation, slander, and libel. He was heard saying, Islam is the cause of every problem in the world. He wanted to wipe out every Muslim from the face of the earth. He certainly enjoyed the state patronage. Instead of being arrested, PK’s hateful speeches were allowed to be circulated on YouTube.
To quote Mr. N. Ram, a prominent media figure and Director of “The Hindu Group,” who has identified two interconnected challenges confronting the press today: erosion of public trust and growing threats to its freedom and independence. He called on press clubs across the country to play a proactive role in restoring the press's credibility.
Speaking at the National Conclave of the Federation of Press Clubs in Hyderabad on August 22, 2026, he said the credibility crisis could not be attributed entirely to forces outside journalism, but a section of the media had also contributed to the problem through communal rhetoric and excessive proximity to political and corporate interests.
Mr N. Ram, while talking about the credibility of the press, said such things can neither be taken for granted, nor can be demanded from the public.
“When journalism becomes indistinguishable from political propaganda” and when television debates substitute “noise for information”, public trust inevitably suffers,” he said.
Mr. Ram argued that public trust was equally crucial for the press club to remain an effective democratic institution. The press club has an important role in rebuilding that trust by promoting professional ethics and independence, he said.
India ranks 157th (down from 151st in 2025) out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index in 2026. India scores 31.96 out of 100 in the category of "Very Serious" environment for journalism. Reporters Without Borders published this annual index.
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Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com
