US Press Club Condemns Assault On Journalist For Questioning Rahul Gandhi About Hindu Killings in Bangladesh

The US National Press Club (NPC) has spoken against the assault of journalist Rohit Sharma in Dallas by alleged staff of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by calling it a violation of the First Amendment rights.

Sharma had alleged that after he questioned Gandhi on the killings of Hindus in Bangladesh, he was held against his will for 30 minutes by two men and his phone was forcefully unlocked to delete the interview.

Taking note of the incident, NPC president Emily Wilkins released her statement after the NPC Board Members confirmed the incident by talking to Sharma.

"Sharma was at a hotel near the Dallas Airport awaiting the arrival of Rahul Gandhi, the opposition leader in India, who was beginning a US tour. While he waited, Sharma interviewed the Chair of the India Overseas Congress (IOC), Sam Pitroda," the statement mentions.

The interview was held in a professional manner and recorded. It witnessed the presence of IOC members and Gandhi's advance staff.

"On the last question, members of the audience objected to the subject of the question and stopped the interview by shouting at Sharma and pushing him while taking his phone. The group, which included Gandhi's staff, deleted files from Sharma's phone and kept it from him," the statement reads.

"Pitroda, who had been whisked to the airport to meet Gandhi, later apologized to Sharma. He had no objection to Sharma's question and was in the process of answering when the audience erupted," the statement claims.

"Later in the week, Gandhi answered a similar question at a Press Club Newsmakers event in Washington," the statement says warning the security staff of the protection to journalists guaranteed by the First Amendment, regardless of the nationality of the interview subject, reporter or security teams.

"This was an on-the-record interview with ground rules set between Mr. Sharma and Mr. Pitroda. The security team had no role related to the content or duration of the interview. They had no right or standing to take Sharma's phone from him or delete content," the statement concludes.