Latest National Security Threat: Press Club Of India

After foreign-funded non-government organisations (NGOs) and the Aadhaar Card, there is a new entrant to the list of national security threats: the Press Club of India (PCI).  This potential “threat” as detected by Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament Dilip Gandhi is stonewalling the Press Club’s quest to shift to modern premises.

Surprised? We were too when we came across this press release by the PCI.

Just to make sure it wasn’t some kind of a bura na mano Holi hai prank (once bitten, twice shy) that the PCI – or Gandhi – was pulling off on us, we called up both parties.

According to Anand Kishore Sahay, President, PCI, the government had allotted them a plot on Rajendra Prasad Marg in the capital. This after it was brought to the government’s notice that the PCI, which is “representative of the social life of journalism”, needed to be located in a plusher setting.

“We had even paid the initial lease amount of around Rs 1.3 crore to the government for the new premises in October last year.  However, the property has not been yet transferred to us as the incumbent resident of the premises, Gandhi, has refused to vacate it,” Sahay told Newslaundry.

The Press Club currently operates out of a property on the Raisina Marg, in the heart of Central Delhi. Sahay said the current space was inadequate as “the Press Club is not just a place for drinking and eating but also for discussions on current affairs”. Sahay pointed out that the current space didn’t even have a proper lecture hall and that it used to be a barrack during the Second World War.

“Our members [more than 4,000] would like to have more professional, modern facilities like a swimming pool…perhaps also residential facilities for outstation journalists,” explained Sahay. Sahay said the Press Club would prefer to remain in Central Delhi, as it is “very convenient in terms of location”.

“From what I understand, government has written to the MP [Gandhi] to vacate the premises but he has been dilly dallying, even going to the extent of writing to the National Security Adviser that the Press Club is a threat to National Security,” said Sahay. According to Sahay, Union Minister for Urban Development Venkiah Naidu had also asked Gandhi to vacate the premises and even assured him an alternative accommodation of the same level. “But Gandhi has resorted to delaying tactics,” stated Sahay.

But how is the Press Club of India a threat to national security? “You should ask the MP that,” he said.

When Newslaundry asked Gandhi if he had in fact written the letter, he admitted that he did, but had withdrawn the letter after Naidu had a word with him.

So what makes Gandhi, MP from Ahmadnagar, Maharashtra, think that the Press Club is a threat to the nation? “Haven’t you heard of the petroleum ministry leaks?” he shot back.  Gandhi also thinks that shifting the Press Club would lead to traffic jams in the area. “But if the government has decided on it, what can I say,” he lamented.

When we asked Gandhi when he planned to vacate the premises now that he has withdrawn the letter, he asked us if we wanted to park him on the road.

Gandhi clearly doesn’t have too many friends in the city – and seems he doesn’t trust Naidu either. Meanwhile, it seems like journalists will have to wait for a while till they can have a pool-side party.