Gujarat: Modani model makes raids on media while Pahalgam terrorists stay untraced, says Congress

Nearly a month has passed since 26 tourists were killed in a terror attack in Pahalgam, yet the perpetrators remain at large. Their whereabouts are unknown — have they crossed over into Pakistan? Are they hiding within the valley? The questions are many, but the answers are few — and the political Opposition are not the only ones wondering.

On Tuesday, 20 may, Gujarat Congress MLA and prominent Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani strongly criticised the Modi government for failing to apprehend the attackers. Instead of prioritising the hunt for terrorists, Mevani alleged, the government is targeting the press — referring to the raids on Gujarat Samachar and the arrest of a co-owner.

“The managing editor of Gujarat’s leading daily Gujarat Samachar has been targeted simply for raising questions,” Mevani said, accusing the BJP government of acting vindictively.

“It appears that catching the Pahalgam terrorists is not this government’s priority,” he remarked.

On 22 April 2025, militants launched a deadly attack in the Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam, a popular tourist destination surrounded by dense pine forests, killing 26 people.

The terrorists, as per eye witnesses, primarily targeted Hindu tourists, though a Christian tourist and a local Muslim citizen were also among those killed. The massacre is the deadliest attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. India then launched Operation Sindoor in response to the terror attack.

Gujarat Samachar, in the aftermath, raised questions about the intelligence failure that allowed the attacks to proceed in the first place.

Highlighting the legacy of Gujarat Samachar, Mevani noted that the newspaper had previously criticised Congress governments too — but was never subjected to such raids or harassment.

“The Congress never sent the ED or CBI after the paper. But the BJP government has arrested the ailing owner of the newspaper, who is suffering from multiple health conditions. This shows the Modi government’s vindictive approach,” he added.

According to Mevani, the newspaper has been consistent in its critical coverage of prime minister Narendra Modi, union home minister Amit Shah and the Gujarat government for the last 25 years. He claimed that the BJP’s recent action against the publication was nothing short of political retribution.

Echoing Mevani's views, Congress Seva Dal chief Lalji Desai, who also comes from Guarat, took a sharp dig at the ruling party: “They claimed they would eliminate terrorism, but instead they are eliminating journalism. They claimed they would kill terrorists but they are harassing journalists.”

“Media is the mirror of society, but today the power of the media is being crushed,” Desai said, adding that the raids on Gujarat Samachar exposed the reality behind the much-hyped .

“What they call the Gujarat Model is actually the — a system where government agencies like the ED, CBI and income tax department are used to create pressure and grab land or property, which ultimately ends up in the hands of their corporate friends,” he alleged.

Desai further added, “The so-called Gujarat Model being showcased today — where dissent is silenced and press freedom curtailed — is not the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel. It is the model of Modani.”

When asked about the recent demolition drive near Chandola Talav in Ahmedabad targeting alleged Bangladeshi immigrants, Mevani said the drive went beyond the stated targets.

“Along with alleged Bangladeshis, the homes of poor people, Dalits and OBCs were also razed,” he said.

Drawing a contrast between the BJP-led Gujarat government and the Congress-led Karnataka government, Mevani pointed out that while the Gujarat government is demolishing homes of the marginalised, the Karnataka government has provided over 1 lakh houses to the poor on the occasion of its second anniversary in office.