Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, while speaking at the Anil Kumar Memorial Journalism Award Ceremony organized by the Nagpur Press Club, criticized "Supari Journalist" who misuse the Right to Information (RTI) Act for blackmail and personal gain. Gadkari commented on how some journalists have gone so far as to purchase luxury cars like Mercedes using unethical means.
During his speech, Gadkari shared an incident from his tenure as a minister, where a journalist frequently used RTI to blackmail officials in the Public Works Department (PWD). “One of my officers informed me about this blackmailing. I told him, 'When that journalist comes to your office, lock the door and give him a good thrashing. And they did the same only. After that, the publication he worked for stopped circulating,” Gadkari remarked.
He also recounted another experience from Marathwada, where an official was troubled by a journalist demanding advertisements. Gadkari said the official told him that the journalist had even filed a police complaint accusing the official of misconduct. Gadkari expressed concern over such practices and urged media organizations to be more responsible in distributing their authority cards.
He concluded by noting that despite the presence of such "Suparri journalists," there are still many ethical journalists who uphold the ideals of their profession. He cited examples of journalists who remained committed to their principles, even facing imprisonment during the Emergency but never compromising on journalistic integrity.
