‘Modi Chalisa’ at Press Club of India bodes ill for the institution of the Press
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By Syed Ali Mujtaba | Edited by Adam Rizvi, The India Observer (TIO): An event at the Press Club of India in New Delhi, where a cutout of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was worshipped, has stirred a hornet’s nest. At the event, Prime Minister Modi was depicted as Lord Ram and worshipped, an act captured live on video cameras.
On the Press Club premises, participants recited the “Modi Chalisa.” Videos show four to five people performing an aarti before a cutout of the Prime Minister, who is depicted holding a bow, resembling Maryada Purushottam Ram.
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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 carried the words “Bhagwan Shri Narendra Modi Chalisa.”
Such an image of Lord Ram sent a disturbing message to viewers, suggesting that this image of Modi could henceforth be worshipped across India.
The event was organized by members associated with the Bihar State Transgender Welfare Board. Its vice-president, Rajan Singh, said 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.
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Criticism that the Press Club’s credibility was being eroded spread thick and fast on social media. This prompted the Press Club of India to issue a clarification stating 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 this clarification, the fact remains that such an explanation does not assuage the sentiments of those who regard the Press Club as the fourth pillar of Indian democracy, an institution meant to give voice to those 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.
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Certainly, the Press Club’s response does not satisfy the public trust. It appears to have lost its rationalist and socialist values by providing a platform to such fringe elements. It is increasingly seen as a platform for airing a Hindu communal agenda.
Public interest litigation may be warranted against the Press Club, and its authorities should be questioned as to why this body, which claims to be a guardian of the press, is allegedly indulging in activities that critics view as anti-constitutional.
This is not the first time the Press Club premises have allegedly been used to spread communal Hindu religious ideas. One such person I have come across is Pushpendra Kulshreshtha (PK), who used the Press Club of India premises to spread what critics described as hate against Indian Muslims and Islam.
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He was the bureau chief of Pakistan’s Aaj TV news channel in New Delhi. It was reportedly due to that association that PK got himself elected as general secretary of the Press Club of India, not once but three times. It was during his third term, in 2009, that he was accused of financial irregularities at the Press Club. At an extraordinary general body meeting attended by more than 200 Press Club members, the Hindu nationalist was reportedly removed from office.
During his tenure as an office-bearer of the Press Club of India, PK addressed an RSS gathering where his speeches were reportedly full of allegations against Muslims and Islam. His speeches were described as containing lies, unsubstantiated claims, defamation, slander, and libel. He was reportedly heard saying that Islam was the cause of every problem in the world and that he wanted to wipe out every Muslim from the face of the earth. He certainly appeared to enjoy state patronage. Instead of being arrested, PK’s speeches were allowed to circulate on YouTube.
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It is pertinent 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: the 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 that 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 that such credibility can neither be taken for granted nor demanded from the public.
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“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 a press club to remain an effective democratic institution. Press clubs have 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 2026 World Press Freedom Index. India scores 31.96 out of 100 in the category classified as a “Very Serious” environment for journalism. The index is published annually by Reporters Without Borders.
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