New Delhi: A showcause notice by the Mumbai Press Club to a member and former president for ‘facilitating entry and presence’ of individuals accused in the 2018 Bhima Koregaon violence case at a gathering has drawn criticism from other members for taking a “myopic” stance.
The notice, issued on 22 February by the club’s managing committee to senior journalist Gurbir Singh, said that on 19 January, Singh had hosted a gathering of accused persons in the club’s premises “without due regard to the potential reputational consequences for the institution”. It added that if the incident is established, it will constitute a “serious breach” of the club’s rules and bye-laws, which obligate all members to “uphold discipline, maintain the dignity and decorum of the institution, and refrain from any act that may bring the club into disrepute”.
In a preliminary inquiry by the office of the club’s secretary, the guest registry, restaurant bills and CCTV footage were checked, according to the notice. Singh was directed to respond with a written explanation as to why no disciplinary action should be taken against him.
The move has been questioned by other club members who have said that various individuals with criminal cases pending against them have visited the club in the past. Just last year in October, a discussion on Anand Teltumbde’s book Iconoclast: A Reflective Biography of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar was held at the club in collaboration with publisher Penguin. Scholar and human rights activist Teltumbde had been incarcerated for about two years due to his alleged role in the 2018 case, before being released on bail in 2022.
According to Singh himself, with the club heading to polls in May or June this year, the committee is trying to block his candidature by using the matter to take disciplinary action against him.
He told ThePrint that while he had been part of the gathering and had helped the hosts make arrangements, the attendees had not been invited by him.
Singh’s claim has been defended by Shrikant Modak and Bernard D’Mello, both senior members of the club. In separate letters to the managing committee, they have written that Singh was a “participant” in the discussion, but by no measure was he the “host” of the gathering.
The letters also expressed shock and surprise that “a liberal platform like the Mumbai Press Club, which is mandated to allow for a free flow of views, thoughts, debates and events, has taken such a myopic and unacceptable position”.
Singh said, “It doesn’t even matter if it was a private party or not. The club has always been used by its members to meet with sources, with scholars and other journalists. It has been a platform for tackling controversy.”
He cited other previous instances of figures, like politician L.K. Advani, former student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, and lawyer Parshant Bhushan, among others, were present at the club for events. There has never been a problem before, he said.
ThePrint also reached the secretary of the press club’s managing committee via email for a comment. The secretary’s office, however, refused to offer a statement on the matter on the grounds that it is still under investigation. “Pursuant to a complaint received, a notice has been duly issued to the concerned member seeking appropriate clarifications,” the response read.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)