Urdu press barred from Diwali meet by BJP govt in Delhi
Urdu press allege “step-motherly treatment” at Delhi Diwali meet, raising concerns of language-based bias and deepening media polarization
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — Journalists in India’s capital have accused the Delhi government of excluding Urdu-language reporters from an official Diwali media event, describing it as an unprecedented act of institutional discrimination.
The controversy erupted after the Directorate of Information and Publicity (DIP) invited members of the press to a “Diwali Mangal Milan” gathering with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on October 13 at the Ashoka Hotel.
According to The Wire, multiple Urdu journalists who regularly cover government and political affairs said they never received invitations — a sharp departure from previous years.
Urdu reporters called the omission “step-motherly treatment,” warning that it sends a political message in a city where Urdu is an official language and historically intertwined with Delhi’s cultural identity.
Several described the move as a form of “journalistic untouchability,” claiming it reflects the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s efforts to sideline minority voices from both language and media spaces.
Sadiq Sherwani, editor of Hamara Samaj, told the outlet that even under earlier BJP administrations, Urdu media were not excluded from such events. He said the decision mirrors a growing attempt to portray Urdu as the “language of Muslims,” rather than part of India’s shared heritage. “This isn’t just about invitations,” he said. “It’s about erasing Urdu from public life.”
Other journalists echoed that sentiment, arguing the exclusion fits a broader pattern of political communication that marginalizes minority communities. Farhan Yahya of Hindustan Express noted that past governments — whether led by Congress or the Aam Aadmi Party — maintained equal access for Urdu journalists. “This is the first time we’ve seen language used as a political filter,” he said.
Senior journalist Masoom Moradabadi said the Delhi government’s attitude toward Urdu reflects a nationwide shift under BJP rule. “Advertising to Urdu newspapers has stopped. Representation has stopped. This is not an oversight — it is an agenda,” he said.
Analysts see the episode as part of a wider transformation in India’s media landscape, where linguistic and communal fault lines increasingly overlap. Urdu media, once a vibrant bridge between communities, now faces shrinking visibility amid the dominance of Hindi- and English-language outlets aligned with majoritarian narratives.
Inside newsrooms, journalists said the incident is being viewed as a warning: that access to power will depend on conformity to the ruling ideology. “This isn’t the first instance of such discrimination. Such actions persist under BJP rule, from the Union government down to the state,” said Hindustan Express news editor Shahid-ul-Islam.
As of this week, journalists plan to petition Delhi’s public-relations department for a formal explanation and a guarantee of inclusion in future state events. The government has yet to issue an official response.
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